Evidence-based healthcare information management protocols

ABSTRACT

Structures and protocols are presented for signaling a decision (processing or transmitting a medical record or other resource, e.g.) conditionally, at least partly based on one or more performance indicia (excess hospital readmissions, e.g.) or therapeutic determinants (prior success, e.g.) or privacy considerations (patient consent, e.g.).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to managing information in an evidence-basedmedical practice, particularly data relating to patients or todiagnostic or therapeutic treatments.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to and claims the benefit of theearliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listedapplication(s) (the “Related Applications”) (e.g., claims earliestavailable priority dates for other than provisional patent applicationsor claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patentapplications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent,etc. applications of the Related Application(s)). All subject matter ofthe Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent,great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Applications,including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference tothe extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication constitutes a continuation-in-part of {Attorney Docket Nos.1011-002-002, 1011-002-003, 1011-002-005, 1011-002-006}, each entitledEvidence-Based Healthcare Information Management Protocols, namingRoderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; JohnD. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L.Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed on even date herewith, each of which iscurrently co-pending or is an application of which a currentlyco-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.Likewise the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of{Attorney Docket No. 1011-002-001}, also entitled Evidence-BasedHealthcare Information Management Protocols and naming Roderick A. Hyde;Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Royce A. Levien;Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; John D. Rinaldo, Jr.;Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. asinventors, filed 30 Dec. 2011, which is currently co-pending.

For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the presentapplication claims benefit of priority of {Attorney Docket Nos.1011-002-002, 1011-002-003, 1011-002-005, 1011-002-006}, each entitledEvidence-Based Healthcare Information Management Protocols, namingRoderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt;Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; JohnD. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L.Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed on even date herewith, each of which wasfiled within the twelve months preceding the filing date of the presentapplication or is an application of which a currently co-pendingapplication is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. Likewise thepresent application claims benefit of priority of {Attorney Docket No.1011-002-001}, also entitled Evidence-Based Healthcare InformationManagement Protocols and naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung;Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord;Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; John D. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet;Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed 30Dec. 2011, which was filed within the twelve months preceding the filingdate of the present application.

The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to theeffect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent applicantsreference both a serial number and indicate whether an application is acontinuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parentapplication. Stephen G. Kunin, Benefit of Prior-Filed Application, USPTOOfficial Gazette Mar. 18, 2003. The present Applicant Entity(hereinafter “Applicant”) has provided above a specific reference to theapplication(s) from which priority is being claimed as recited bystatute. Applicant understands that the statute is unambiguous in itsspecific reference language and does not require either a serial numberor any characterization, such as “continuation” or“continuation-in-part,” for claiming priority to U.S. patentapplications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicant understands thatthe USPTO's computer programs have certain data entry requirements, andhence Applicant has provided designation(s) of a relationship betweenthe present application and its parent application(s) as set forthabove, but expressly points out that such designation(s) are not to beconstrued in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission as towhether or not the present application contains any new matter inaddition to the matter of its parent application(s).

SUMMARY

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to causing an electronic record of a firstprotocol (comprising one or more instances of diagnostic evaluations,regimen implementations, or medical interventions, e.g.) for aparticular condition (comprising one or more instances of injuries,complaints, or pathologies, e.g.) to be annotated with a scan of adocument and retrieving the electronic record of the first protocolafter the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with thescan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patientundergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of aninstitutional readmission. In addition to the foregoing, other methodaspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a partof the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for causing an electronicrecord of a first protocol for a particular condition to be annotatedwith a scan of a document and circuitry for retrieving the electronicrecord of the first protocol after the electronic record of the firstprotocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on anindication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partlybased on an indication of an institutional readmission. In addition tothe foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to causing an electronic record of a firstprotocol for a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of adocument and retrieving the electronic record of the first protocolafter the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with thescan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patientundergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of aninstitutional readmission. In addition to the foregoing, other computerprogram product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for causing an electronic record of a first protocolfor a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of a document andretrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after theelectronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan ofthe document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoingthe first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutionalreadmission. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an indication that a particularcondition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol; causinga record of a second patient to include the indication that theparticular condition was treated in the first patient with the firstprotocol; and retrieving the record of the second patient selectively inresponse to an association between the second patient and an indicationof an institutional readmission after the record of the second patientincludes the indication that the particular condition was treated in thefirst patient with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing,other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indicationthat a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a firstprotocol; circuitry for causing a record of a second patient to includethe indication that the particular condition was treated in the firstpatient with the first protocol; and circuitry for retrieving the recordof the second patient selectively in response to an association betweenthe second patient and an indication of an institutional readmissionafter the record of the second patient includes the indication that theparticular condition was treated in the first patient with the firstprotocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an indication that aparticular condition was treated in a first patient with a firstprotocol; causing a record of a second patient to include the indicationthat the particular condition was treated in the first patient with thefirst protocol; and retrieving the record of the second patientselectively in response to an association between the second patient andan indication of an institutional readmission after the record of thesecond patient includes the indication that the particular condition wastreated in the first patient with the first protocol. In addition to theforegoing, other computer program product aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an indication that a particular conditionwas treated in a first patient with a first protocol; causing a recordof a second patient to include the indication that the particularcondition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol; andretrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response toan association between the second patient and an indication of aninstitutional readmission after the record of the second patientincludes the indication that the particular condition was treated in thefirst patient with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing,other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an indication of a firstprotocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a firstpatient; requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocolfrom an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocoland partly based on a first communication delay associated with thefirst protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; andsignaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of thefirst protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication ofthe first protocol was received from the entity after the effectivenessindication is requested from the entity partly based on the entityvalidating the first protocol and partly based on the firstcommunication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition tothe foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indication ofa first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition ina first patient; circuitry for requesting an effectiveness indication ofthe first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validatingthe first protocol and partly based on a first communication delayassociated with the first protocol, the first communication delayexceeding one hour; and circuitry for signaling a decision whether toupdate a prominence indication of the first protocol in response towhether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was receivedfrom the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from theentity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol andpartly based on the first communication delay associated with the firstprotocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an indication of a firstprotocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a firstpatient; requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocolfrom an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocoland partly based on a first communication delay associated with thefirst protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; andsignaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of thefirst protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication ofthe first protocol was received from the entity after the effectivenessindication is requested from the entity partly based on the entityvalidating the first protocol and partly based on the firstcommunication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition tothe foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described inthe claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an indication of a first protocol beingemployed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient;requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from anentity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol andpartly based on a first communication delay associated with the firstprotocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; andsignaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of thefirst protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication ofthe first protocol was received from the entity after the effectivenessindication is requested from the entity partly based on the entityvalidating the first protocol and partly based on the firstcommunication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition tothe foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an association between aparticular condition and a first protocol; causing a comparison betweena threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particularcondition with the first protocol after the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and signaling adecision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol. In additionto the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an associationbetween a particular condition and a first protocol; circuitry forcausing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol after theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol isobtained; and circuitry for signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol. In addition to theforegoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings,and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an association between aparticular condition and a first protocol; causing a comparison betweena threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particularcondition with the first protocol after the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and signaling adecision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol. In additionto the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are describedin the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the presentdisclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an association between a particularcondition and a first protocol; causing a comparison between a thresholdand a prominence indication of treating the particular condition withthe first protocol after the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol is obtained; and signaling a decisionwhether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association betweenthe particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol. In additionto the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an association between a careadministration space and a first device; obtaining via a second device apatient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medicalrecord, the second device being a mobile device; and causing the firstdevice to receive the first medical record partly based on the seconddevice entering the care administration space and partly based on thepatient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. Inaddition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an associationbetween a care administration space and a first device; circuitry forobtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionallyauthorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device beinga mobile device; and circuitry for causing the first device to receivethe first medical record partly based on the second device entering thecare administration space and partly based on the patient consentauthorizing the release of the first medical record. In addition to theforegoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings,and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an association between a careadministration space and a first device; obtaining via a second device apatient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medicalrecord, the second device being a mobile device; and causing the firstdevice to receive the first medical record partly based on the seconddevice entering the care administration space and partly based on thepatient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. Inaddition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects aredescribed in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of thepresent disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an association between a careadministration space and a first device; obtaining via a second device apatient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medicalrecord, the second device being a mobile device; and causing the firstdevice to receive the first medical record partly based on the seconddevice entering the care administration space and partly based on thepatient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. Inaddition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in theclaims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the methodincludes but is not limited to obtaining an indication of a first deviceassociated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particularcondition; obtaining an indication of a second device associated withand wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of a timestamp as anautomatic response to the first device associated with and wearable bythe patient and the second device associated with and wearable by thecaregiver both being in a single common location; and causing aretrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of aninstitutional readmission after the recordation of the timestampindicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patientand the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver bothhaving been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing,other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions ofmatter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combinationpermissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmwareconfigured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending uponthe design choices of the system designer.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indication ofa first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalizedfor a particular condition; obtaining an indication of a second deviceassociated with and wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of atimestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated withand wearable by the patient and the second device associated with andwearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; andcausing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of aninstitutional readmission after the recordation of the timestampindicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patientand the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver bothhaving been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing,other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computerprogram product. In one implementation, the article of manufactureincludes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by oneor more instructions related to obtaining an indication of a firstdevice associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for aparticular condition; obtaining an indication of a second deviceassociated with and wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of atimestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated withand wearable by the patient and the second device associated with andwearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; andcausing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of aninstitutional readmission after the recordation of the timestampindicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patientand the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver bothhaving been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing,other computer program product aspects are described in the claims,drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the systemincludes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. Theinstructions when executed on the computing device configure thecomputing device for obtaining an indication of a first deviceassociated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particularcondition; obtaining an indication of a second device associated withand wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of a timestamp as anautomatic response to the first device associated with and wearable bythe patient and the second device associated with and wearable by thecaregiver both being in a single common location; and causing aretrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of aninstitutional readmission after the recordation of the timestampindicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patientand the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver bothhaving been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing,other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and textforming a part of the present disclosure.

In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or system and/orprogram product aspects are set forth and described in the teachingssuch as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawingsof the present disclosure. The foregoing is a summary and thus maycontain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissionsof detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatthe summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any waylimiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/orprocesses and/or other subject matter described herein will becomeapparent in the teachings set forth below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media.

FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may facilitate coordination between a hospital and one ormore other facilities.

FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in a device.

FIGS. 4-7 respectively depict other exemplary environments in which oneor more technologies may be implemented in one or more data-handlingmedia.

FIGS. 8-13 respectively depict exemplary environments in which one ormore technologies may be configured to operate between or amongrespective devices.

FIG. 14 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational processdescribed with reference to FIG. 8.

FIG. 15 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational processdescribed with reference to FIG. 9.

FIG. 16 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational processdescribed with reference to FIG. 10.

FIG. 17 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational processdescribed with reference to FIG. 11.

FIG. 18 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational processdescribed with reference to FIG. 12.

FIG. 19 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational processdescribed with reference to FIG. 13.

FIG. 20 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media on anetwork.

FIG. 21 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media.

FIG. 22 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or moretechnologies may be configured to operate between or among respectivedevices.

FIG. 23 depicts variants of flows shown in one or more of FIGS. 14-19.

FIG. 24 depicts variants of flows shown in one or more of FIG. 14-19 or23.

FIG. 25 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

FIG. 26 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

FIG. 27 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented here.

Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the arthas progressed to the point where there is little distinction leftbetween hardware, software, and/or firmware implementations of aspectsof systems; the use of hardware, software, and/or firmware is generally(but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardwareand software can become significant) a design choice representing costvs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciatethat there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/orother technologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware,software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will varywith the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or othertechnologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determinesthat speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for amainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibilityis paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly softwareimplementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt forsome combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, thereare several possible vehicles by which the processes and/or devicesand/or other technologies described herein may be effected, none ofwhich is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to beutilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehiclewill be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, orpredictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. Those skilledin the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations willtypically employ optically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware.

In some implementations described herein, logic and similarimplementations may include software or other control structuressuitable to operation. Electronic circuitry, for example, may manifestone or more paths of electrical current constructed and arranged toimplement various logic functions as described herein. In someimplementations, one or more media are configured to bear adevice-detectable implementation if such media hold or transmit aspecial-purpose device instruction set operable to perform as describedherein. In some variants, for example, this may manifest as an update orother modification of existing software or firmware, or of gate arraysor other programmable hardware, such as by performing a reception of ora transmission of one or more instructions in relation to one or moreoperations described herein. Alternatively or additionally, in somevariants, an implementation may include special-purpose hardware,software, firmware components, and/or general-purpose componentsexecuting or otherwise invoking special-purpose components.Specifications or other implementations may be transmitted by one ormore instances of tangible transmission media as described herein,optionally by packet transmission or otherwise by passing throughdistributed media at various times.

Alternatively or additionally, implementations may include executing aspecial-purpose instruction sequence or otherwise invoking circuitry forenabling, triggering, coordinating, requesting, or otherwise causing oneor more occurrences of any functional operations described below. Insome variants, operational or other logical descriptions herein may beexpressed directly as source code and compiled or otherwise invoked asan executable instruction sequence. In some contexts, for example, C++or other code sequences can be compiled directly or otherwiseimplemented in high-level descriptor languages (e.g., alogic-synthesizable language, a hardware description language, ahardware design simulation, and/or other such similar mode(s) ofexpression). Alternatively or additionally, some or all of the logicalexpression may be manifested as a Verilog-type hardware description orother circuitry model before physical implementation in hardware,especially for basic operations or timing-critical applications. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize how to obtain, configure, and optimizesuitable transmission or computational elements, material supplies,actuators, or other common structures in light of these teachings.

In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that thevarious embodiments described herein can be implemented, individuallyand/or collectively, by various types of electro-mechanical systemshaving a wide range of electrical components such as hardware, software,firmware, and/or virtually any combination thereof; and a wide range ofcomponents that may impart mechanical force or motion such as rigidbodies, spring or torsional bodies, hydraulics, electro-magneticallyactuated devices, and/or virtually any combination thereof.Consequently, as used herein “electro-mechanical system” includes, butis not limited to, electrical circuitry operably coupled with atransducer (e.g., an actuator, a motor, a piezoelectric crystal, a MicroElectro Mechanical System (MEMS), etc.), electrical circuitry having atleast one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having atleast one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least oneapplication specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming ageneral purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g.,a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which atleast partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein,or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at leastpartially carries out processes and/or devices described herein),electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of memory(e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), electrical circuitryforming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch,optical-electrical equipment, etc.), and/or any non-electrical analogthereto, such as optical or other analogs. Those skilled in the art willalso appreciate that examples of electro-mechanical systems include butare not limited to a variety of consumer electronics systems, medicaldevices, as well as other systems such as motorized transport systems,factory automation systems, security systems, and/orcommunication/computing systems. Those skilled in the art will recognizethat electro-mechanical as used herein is not necessarily limited to asystem that has both electrical and mechanical actuation except ascontext may dictate otherwise.

In a general sense, those skilled in the art will also recognize thatthe various aspects described herein which can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, and/or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composedof various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein“electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electricalcircuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electricalcircuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitryhaving at least one application specific integrated circuit, electricalcircuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by acomputer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by acomputer program which at least partially carries out processes and/ordevices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computerprogram which at least partially carries out processes and/or devicesdescribed herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g.,forms of memory (e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), and/orelectrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem,communications switch, optical-electrical equipment, etc.). Those havingskill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described hereinmay be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combinationthereof.

Those skilled in the art will further recognize that at least a portionof the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated intoan image processing system. A typical image processing system maygenerally include one or more of a system unit housing, a video displaydevice, memory such as volatile or non-volatile memory, processors suchas microprocessors or digital signal processors, computational entitiessuch as operating systems, drivers, applications programs, one or moreinteraction devices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna,etc.), control systems including feedback loops and control motors(e.g., feedback for sensing lens position and/or velocity; controlmotors for moving/distorting lenses to give desired focuses). An imageprocessing system may be implemented utilizing suitable commerciallyavailable components, such as those typically found in digital stillsystems and/or digital motion systems.

Those skilled in the art will likewise recognize that at least some ofthe devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into adata processing system. Those having skill in the art will recognizethat a data processing system generally includes one or more of a systemunit housing, a video display device, memory such as volatile ornon-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors or digitalsignal processors, computational entities such as operating systems,drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one ormore interaction devices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna,etc.), and/or control systems including feedback loops and controlmotors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; controlmotors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A dataprocessing system may be implemented utilizing suitable commerciallyavailable components, such as those typically found in datacomputing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.

With reference now to FIG. 1, shown is an example of a system 1 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. One or more media 105 are configured to bear one or moreinstances of a registry 109 (of multiple subscribers, e.g.); organizedinformational data components relating to health-related protocols 120,130, 140 relating to the treatment of various conditions 160, 170, 180(symptoms or pathologies 181 or sets 107 thereof, e.g.); thresholds 191,192; and outputs 195, 196. One or more such data components 126 relatespecifically to the handling of condition 160 using protocol 120prospectively or otherwise, for example, for one or more particularpatients or more generally as described below. (Such sets 107 ofpathologies 181 may comprise one or more of an addiction or chronic painor major depression, for example.) One or more data components 127likewise relate specifically to the handling of condition 170 usingprotocol 120 (MRI screening followed by magnetic stimulation therapy,e.g.). One or more data components 128 likewise relate specifically tothe handling of condition 180 using protocol 120.

One or more data components 136 likewise relate specifically to thehandling of condition 160 using protocol 130. One or more datacomponents 137 likewise relate specifically to the handling of condition170 (hypertension with major depression in a male of 50 years or older,e.g.) using protocol 130 (a series of ten weekly counseling sessions,e.g.). One or more data components 138 likewise relate specifically tothe handling of condition 180 using protocol 130.

One or more data components 146 likewise relate specifically to thehandling of condition 160 using protocol 140. One or more datacomponents 147 likewise relate specifically to the handling of condition170 (major depression, e.g.) using protocol 140. In some contexts,protocol 140 may comprise a particular drug 141 (sertraline; e.g.) takenat a particular dosage (50 milligrams, e.g.) with a particular frequency144 (daily, e.g.). One or more data components 148 likewise relatespecifically to the handling of condition 180 using protocol 140.

A wide variety of conditions 160, 170, 180 of interest may be identifiedusing one or more common medical classification publications: the ICD(International Classification of Diseases); the ICSD (InternationalClassification of Sleep Disorders); the NANDA (North American NursingDiagnosis Association); the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ofMental Disorders); the Mendelian Inheritance in Man; and the SNOMED(Systematized Nomenclature of Human Medicine, D axis). In practicalterms, records signaling such conditions may also comprise textualdescriptors to locate misclassified or other data components 126, 137,148 that signal such conditions 160, 170, 180 of interest (in aphysician's remarks or other annotations relating to patients who havebeen readmitted to a hospital or psychiatric facility, e.g.).

Likewise a wide variety of protocols 120, 130, 140 (of diagnosis ortreatment, e.g.) of interest may be identified using one or more commonprocedure codes in various publications: the ICHI (InternationalClassification of Health Interventions); the ICPM (InternationalClassification of Procedures in Medicine); the ICPC-2 (InternationalClassification of Primary Care); the HCPCS (Healthcare Common ProcedureCoding System); the ICD-10-PCS and the ICD-9-CM Volume 3 (InternationalClassification of Diseases); the NIC (Nursing InterventionsClassification); the NMDS (Nursing Minimum Data Set); the NOC (NursingOutcomes Classification); the SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of HumanMedicine, P axis); and the CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes.In practical terms, records signaling such protocols may also compriseDRG (Diagnosis Related Group) codes or textual descriptors to locatemisclassified or other data components 126, 137, 148 that signal suchprotocols 120, 130, 140 of interest.

With reference now to FIG. 2, shown is an example of variousinstitutions among which one or more technologies may be implemented. Amotor vehicle bearing a mobile device 241 is shown in a vicinity of ahospital 201 on a network 290 (the Internet or a phone network, e.g.)shared with another hospital 202 and a home 289 of a patient 292. Insome contexts, network 290 may include one or more call centers 295operated by one or more agents 294 as described below. A stationarydevice 242 is configured to monitor a location 204 within which itresides (in or near an emergency room of hospital 202, e.g.). In theparticular context as shown, hospital 201 is in one service zone 207 andhospital 202 is in a second service zone 208.

With reference now to FIG. 3, shown is an example of a system 3 (asubsystem comprising network 290, e.g.) in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented. Device 305 may (optionally) include oneor more instances of input modules 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 316, 317,318, 319; of configuration modules 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 326; ofrequest modules 331, 332; of retrieval modules 341, 342, 343, 344; ofresponse modules 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358, 359; ofinvocation modules 371, 372, 373, 374; of statement modules 381, 382; ofcomparators 391; of clocks 392; of expert systems 393; of transmitters394; of global positioning systems 396; of radio frequencyidentification (RFID) transponders 397; or of ultrasound identification(USID) transponders 398. In some contexts, moreover, a single component(an application-specific integrated circuit or device-executablesoftware, e.g.) may implement two or more types of the modules describedbelow. Input module 319, for example, may (optionally) be configured toimplement more than one of input modules 311-318 (as an automaticresponse to device-detectable events as described below, e.g.). Responsemodule 359 may likewise be configured to implement more than one ofresponse modules 351-358 (in response to an activation signal frominvocation module 374, e.g.). In many of the contexts described below,two or more instances of device 305 are configured to interact with oneanother or to include one or more media 105 as described below. SeeFIGS. 4-7, 20, and 21.

With reference now to FIG. 4, shown is an example of a system 4 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. One or more media 405 are configured to bear one or moreinstances of content 431, 432; of protocol data 450; of patientattributes 470 (gender 471 or age 472 or race 473, e.g.); of biometrics481, test results 482, computed tomography scans 483 or other images484; or other such diagnostic data 490. Each of the data components126-128, 136-138, 146-148 that pertain to a particular patient 292, forexample, may (optionally) include one or more protocol identifiers 451,material identifiers 452 (of drugs, e.g.), timing data 453 (of dosages,e.g.), protocol effectiveness indicators 456 (such as rankings 454 orscores 455, e.g.), or dates 457 (of orders or enrollments or injuries orother major events, e.g.) as well as diagnostic data 490 relating toeach selected protocol (documenting its rationale or apparent effect,e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 5, shown is an example of a system 5 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. One or more media 505 are configured to bear one or moreinstances of pathology identifiers 511, symptom identifiers 512,complaints 513, or other such condition indications 515; of report types521, request authorizations 522, user identifiers 523, or other suchindications 525 (of excessive institutional readmissions or otherapparently negative outcomes that warrant scrutiny, e.g.); of timeintervals 538 or programmatic delays 541, 542, 543, 544; of inputs 551,552 or replies 555; of records 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 567, 568,569 relating to a particular patient or caregiver; of queries 571, 572,573, 574 or requests 581, 582 as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 6, shown is an example of a system 6 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. One or more media 605 are configured to bear one or moreinstances of accounts 616 (relating to funds or other inventories,e.g.); orders 618 (by a physician, e.g.); components 651, 652 of aregimen 650; records 671, 672, 673, 674, 675 relating to a particularpatient or caregiver; indications 681, 682, 683, 684, 685, 686, 687,688, 689 of various events or conditions relating to healthcare orinformation management; or of goods 691, services 692, credits 693, orother incentives 694 as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 7, shown is an example of a system 7 (anetwork subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may beimplemented. One or more media 705 are configured to bear one or moreinstances of validations 701, 702; records 710 (comprising timestamps711 or other data 712 manifesting measurement or observation events,e.g.); e-mail addresses 721, telephone numbers 722, or other contactinformation 720 (of a care provider or administrator, e.g.); preferences725 (of users of devices 305 as described below, e.g.); identifiers 731,732, 733, 734, 735 (of devices or individuals, e.g.); coded or otherdigitally expressed exceptions 740 affecting treatment decisions (costdifferences 741, side effects 742, past failures 743, or patientpreferences 744, e.g.); global positioning system (GPS) data 751, 752(of devices or individuals as described below, e.g.); data 764comprising medical justification audit reports 765; indications 777comprising requests 771, 772 (signaling an association 776 between acaregiver or patient and various indications 681-689 described below,e.g.); and scans 788, 789 (of documents supporting a course oftreatment, e.g.).

Several variants described herein refer to device-detectable“implementations” such as one or more instances of computer-readablecode, transistor or latch connectivity layouts or other geometricexpressions of logical elements, firmware or software expressions oftransfer functions implementing computational specifications, digitalexpressions of truth tables, or the like. Such instances can, in someimplementations, include source code or other human-readable portions.Alternatively or additionally, functions of implementations describedherein may constitute one or more device-detectable outputs such asdecisions, manifestations, side effects, results, coding or otherexpressions, displayable images, data files, data associations,statistical correlations, streaming signals, intensity levels,frequencies or other measurable attributes, packets or other encodedexpressions, or the like from invoking or monitoring the implementationas described herein.

In some embodiments, a “state” of a component may comprise “available”or some other such state-descriptive labels, an event count or othersuch memory values, a partial depletion or other such physical propertyof a supply device, a voltage, or any other such conditions orattributes that may change between two or more possible valuesirrespective of device location. Such states may be received directly asa measurement or other detection, in some variants, and/or may beinferred from a component's behavior over time. A distributed or othercomposite system may comprise vector-valued device states, moreover,which may affect dispensations or departures in various ways asexemplified herein.

“Received,” “particular,” “wearable,” “portable,” “precedent,”“stationary,” “audible,” “conditional,” “explicit,” “prior,”“extrinsic,” “mobile,” “specific,” “partly,” “local,” “between,”“passive,” “associated,” “effective,” “single,” “wireless,” “any,”“within,” “automatic,” “proximate,” “remote,” “common,” “selective,”“explicit,” “resident,” “employed,” “detectable,” “multiple,” “in avicinity,” “affirmative,” or other such descriptors herein are used intheir normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless contextdictates otherwise. In light of the present disclosure those skilled inthe art will understand from context what is meant by “vicinity,” bybeing “in” or “at” a detection region, by “remote,” and by other suchpositional descriptors used herein. “For” is not used to articulate amere intended purpose in phrases like “circuitry for” or “instructionfor,” moreover, but is used normally, in descriptively identifyingspecial purpose circuitry or code.

In some embodiments, “signaling” something can include identifying,contacting, requesting, selecting, or indicating the thing. In somecases a signaled thing is susceptible to fewer than all of theseaspects, of course, such as a task definition that cannot be“contacted.”

In some embodiments, “status indicative” data can reflect a trend orother time-dependent phenomenon indicating some aspect of a subject'scondition. Alternatively or additionally, a status indicative data setcan include portions that have no bearing upon such status. Althoughsome types of distillations can require authority or substantialexpertise (e.g. making a final decision upon a risky procedure or othercourse of treatment), many other types of distillations can readily beimplemented without undue experimentation in light of teachings herein.

In some embodiments, “causing” events can include triggering, producingor otherwise directly or indirectly bringing the events to pass. Thiscan include causing the events remotely, concurrently, partially, orotherwise as a “cause in fact,” whether or not a more immediate causealso exists.

Some descriptions herein refer to an “indication whether” an event hasoccurred. An indication is “positive” if it indicates that the event hasoccurred, irrespective of its numerical sign or lack thereof. Whetherpositive or negative, such indications may be weak (i.e. slightlyprobative), definitive, or many levels in between. In some cases the“indication” may include a portion that is indeterminate, such as anirrelevant portion of a useful photograph.

With reference now to FIG. 8, shown is an example of a system 8 (asubsystem of one or more networks 290, 890 described herein, e.g.) inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. A desktop scanner 878is configured to transmit a scan 811 of a hardcopy 877 (of a medicaljournal article, e.g.) to a local system 841 (comprising a display 810and keyboard 846, e.g.) on one or more networks 290, 890 describedherein. One such network 890 comprises a records archive 820 accessibleby one or more retrieval modules 825 operable by a remote requestor 893(remote from local system 841, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 14, shown is a high-level logic flow 14 of anoperational process. Intensive operation 42 describes causing anelectronic record of a first protocol for a particular condition to beannotated with a scan of a document (e.g. configuration module 326amending a digital record 569 of the first protocol to include areference to or a copy of a digital scan 811 of a hard copy 877 inresponse to input module 314 receiving the reference to or the copy ofthe digital scan 811). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich record 569 reflects patient 292 being admitted or having beenadmitted to hospital 201 for the treatment of a particular condition 170by a specific protocol 120, in which network 290 is linked to network890, in which one or more instances of device 305 reside on network 890(implementing a computer workstation comprising system 841, e.g.), inwhich one or more input modules 311-319 receive the digital scan 811 asan automatic response to scanner 878 receiving the hard copy 877, and inwhich configuration module 326 fully implements the annotation (directlyto a remote instance of record 569, e.g.) without any manual input (asan additional automatic response to scanner 878 receiving the hard copy877, e.g.). Alternatively, input module 314 may be configured to confirmthat a caregiver wants such annotation or to permit the caregiver totune the annotation (by adding related notes or orders or by annotatingother records 561-569 with the same scan 811, e.g.). In some variants,for example, the local user can confirm that the changes made to a localinstance of record 569 (including a locally indicated or displayed scan811, e.g.) should be written to a remote records archive 820 (into adata component 127 specifically associated with the protocol 120 andwith the condition 170, e.g.) by responding affirmatively to a query 572like “save changes to the current record?”

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for annotating an electronic record as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,009(“Real-time computerized annotation of pictures”); U.S. Pat. No.7,913,162 (“System and method for collaborative annotation using adigital pen”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,847,970 (“System and method for receptionanalysis and annotation of prescription data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,546,524(“Electronic input device system and method using human-comprehensiblecontent to automatically correlate an annotation of a paper documentwith a digital version of the document”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,342(“Including annotation data with disparate relational data”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,286,894 (“Hand-held computer device and method for interactivedata acquisition analysis annotation and calibration”); U.S. Pat. No.7,269,787 (“Multi-document context aware annotation system”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,263,493 (“Delivering electronic versions of supporting documentsassociated with an insurance claim”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,839,403(“Generation and distribution of annotation overlays of digital X-rayimages for security systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,921 (“Method andsystem for annotating documents using an independent annotationrepository”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,519 (“Distributed real timecatalog-based annotation and documentation system for cardiologyprocedures”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,901 (“Distributed real timereplication-based annotation and documentation system for cardiologyprocedures”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,181 (“Method and apparatus for voiceannotation and retrieval of multimedia data”).

Extensive operation 51 describes retrieving the electronic record of thefirst protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol isannotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication ofa first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on anindication of an institutional readmission (e.g. retrieval module 825retrieving record 569 based on indications that patient 292 was treatedfor the particular condition 170 at hospital 201 and was released andlater readmitted for the same condition 170). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which record 569 includes a symptom identifier512 or other indication 681 of the specific medical condition 170, inwhich record 569 also includes a color scan 811 of content 431pertaining to the medical condition 170 presented in the form of a hardcopy 877 (a research study provided by the patient 292 or a familymember, e.g.), and in which such later readmission (for the particularcondition or for a treatment of some harm to the patient resulting froma medical error that occurred during the prior hospitalization, e.g.)would otherwise trigger a reduction in payment for the “first” protocolor for other hospital services. In some contexts, for example, aMultidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) diagnosis that appearsduring a patient's hospital stay, or some other hospital-acquiredcondition, may be indicative of such medical error. Alternatively oradditionally, such content 431 (in one or more media 105, 405 residingon network 890, e.g.) may pertain to one or more medical protocols 120,130 under prospective consideration for treating the patient 292 and maybe retained (as evidence of diligent decision-making or of why a courseof treatment was not selected, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for determining which patients have been treated orhospitalized for a particular condition as described herein withoutundue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,996,074 (“System andmethod for providing closely-followed cardiac therapy management throughautomated patient care”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,991,485 (“System and methodfor obtaining, processing and evaluating patient information fordiagnosing disease and selecting treatment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,817(“Patient monitoring and treatment medical signal interface system”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,043 (“Method using a global server for providingpatient medical histories to assist in the delivery of emergency medicalservices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,154 (“Patient-controlled automatedmedical record, diagnosis, and treatment system and method”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,395,216 (“Using predictive models to continuously update atreatment plan for a patient in a health care location”); U.S. Pat. No.7,395,214 (“Apparatus, device and method for prescribing, administeringand monitoring a treatment regimen for a patient”); U.S. Pat. No.7,204,805 (“Patient conditional diagnosis, assessment and symptomtracking system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,085 (“Method and apparatus toproduce, maintain and report information related to patient treatmentusing medical devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,634 (“System and method fordetermining a condition of a patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,165(“Medical workstation for treating a patient with a voice recordingarrangement for preparing a physician's report during treatment”); andU.S. Pat. No. 6,338,039 (“Method for automated collection ofpsychotherapy patient information and generating reports and treatmentplans”).

With reference now to FIG. 9, shown is an example of a system 9 (e.g. asubsystem of one or more networks 290, 990) in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented. A desktop system 941 is configured todisplay (to a caregiver 991 or other authorized entity, e.g.) one ormore instances of studies 931, records 932, forms 933, or other suchindications relating to a patient 992. Such records 932 may includevarious data components 127, 136, 148 relating to therapies (actually orpotentially) being performed upon one or more patients 292, 992 asdescribed herein. In some contexts, one or more such records 932 may beretrieved from or saved to records archive 920 (by one or more retrievalmodules 925 in an implementation of device 305 described above, e.g.).Alternatively or additionally, a regional network 990 (e.g. for one ormore hospitals 201, 202) containing such archives may be accessed (by aremote requestor 993, e.g.) as described herein.

With reference now to FIG. 15, shown is a high-level logic flow 15 of anoperational process. Intensive operation 35 describes obtaining anindication that a particular condition was treated in a first patientwith a first protocol (e.g. input module 316 receiving a medical record932 or other specific indication 935 that protocol 120 was used fortreating condition 170 in patient 292). This can occur, for example, ina context in which one or more such indications 935 comprise a datacomponent 127 associated with protocol 120 and with condition 170, inwhich a second patient 992 or her caregiver 991 has access to some orall of the data component 127 (including the specific indication 935,e.g.), and in which condition 170 is described in data component 127with a pathology identifier 511 (“fibromyalgia,” e.g.) that has alsobeen assigned to the “second” patient 992. In some variants, forexample, one or more such data components 126-128, 136-138 may reside inone or more regional records archives 820, 920 accessible to authorizedcaregivers 991. Alternatively or additionally, one or more suchindications 935 may be obtained from a published research study 931 (asa hard copy 877 to be scanned, e.g.) or entered into an online form 933(with an identifier of a hospital 201 or a physician or protocol data450 or other background information known to caregiver 991 about the“first” patient 292 or his/her prior treatment, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for extracting an indication that a patient (mammal, e.g.) wastreated for a particular condition as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,711 (“Method and systemfor obtaining health-related records and documents using an onlinelocation”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,347 (“Managing protocol amendments inelectronically recorded clinical trials”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,274(“System and method for analyzing a patient status for congestive heartfailure for use in automated patient care”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,935,055(“System and method of measuring disease severity of a patient before,during and after treatment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,899,764 (“Medicalontologies for machine learning and decision support”); U.S. Pat. No.7,552,039 (“Method for sample processing and integrated reporting of doghealth diagnosis”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,533,353 (“Electronic system forcollecting and automatically populating clinical order information in anacute care setting”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,085 (“Method and apparatusto produce, maintain and report information related to patient treatmentusing medical devices”).

Intensive operation 43 describes causing a record of a second patient toinclude the indication that the particular condition was treated in thefirst patient with the first protocol (e.g. configuration module 323modifying a medical record 562 of the “second” patient 992 by includingone or more specific indications 935 that protocol 120 was used fortreating condition 170 in one or more prior patients 292, with orwithout identifying any particular “first” patient 292). This can occur,for example, in a context in which protocol 120 is not yet establishedas the preferred treatment for treating condition 170; in which the“first” and “second” patients have one or more attributes 470 (gender471 or general age 472 or race 473, e.g.) in common; in which record 562identifies one or more such attributes 470 but does not include otherinformation that identifies the “first” patient 292. In addition to suchconsiderations relating to patient privacy, tracking such informationmay be helpful in relation to other regulatory considerations. Under thehealthcare system in the United States, for example, Section 4302 ofPublic Law 111-148 (the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,”sometimes called “Obamacare”) “[r]equires federally conducted orsupported healthcare programs or surveys to collect and reportdemographic data, including ethnicity, sex, primary language, anddisability status, as well as data at the smallest geographic levelpossible, such as state or local, etc.”

Referring again to FIGS. 1 & 9, moreover, in some contexts a caregiver991 may determine a circumstance of the “second” patient falls into oneor more identifiable exceptions 740 to a general practice of treatingcondition 170 with a more conventional protocol 140. In a context inwhich the conventional protocol 140 is characterized by one or moregenerally preferred drugs 141 and associated dosages 142, practicegroups or facilities or modes (in-patient at hospital 201, e.g.), orfrequencies of treatment (daily or weekly, e.g.), an unconventionalprotocol 120 may be warranted for one or more reasons of cost difference741 (protocol 140 being too expensive for continued use, e.g.); sideeffects 742 (an allergy to drug 141 or drug interaction risk, e.g.);past failure 743 (having been ineffective for treating condition 170 inpatient 992, e.g.); or a documented preference 744 (manifested by awaiver from “second” patient 992, e.g.). In some variants, therefore, itmay be preferable for configuration module 323 to be operable formodifying medical record 562 to include such exceptions 740 incircumstance (optionally by querying caregiver 991 for such information,e.g.).

Extensive operation 52 describes retrieving the record of the secondpatient selectively in response to an association between the secondpatient and an indication of an institutional readmission after therecord of the second patient includes the indication that the particularcondition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol (e.g.retrieval module 925 requesting and providing medical record 562 inresponse to a remote requestor 993 initiating a medical justificationaudit report 765 indicating that the “second” patient 992 underwentmultiple in-patient treatments for condition 170 during separatehospital stays). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichoperations 35 and 43 had both been performed; in which the retrieval is“selective” insofar that each instance of operation 52 retrieves lessthan all such records 561-569 (of billing, e.g.); in which caregiver 991has reasonably and correctly relied upon the indication 935 as precedent(that the particular condition 170 was treated in the “first” patient292 with protocol 120, e.g.) in her decision to recommend or administerprotocol 120 to the “second” patient 992 in hospital 201; in which it isnot self-evident that such administration was reasonable in the absenceof the specific indication 935; and in which protocol 120 is ultimatelynot permanently effective at eradicating the particular condition 170.In the event that the “second” patient 992 is readmitted to hospital 202later for further treatment of the particular condition 170 and thatsuch readmission would otherwise trigger a reduction in payment for theservices of caregiver 991 or of hospital 201, remembering andreacquiring the particular condition 170 (or some other adequatejustification) may become an onerous and crucial task. In some contexts,a medical justification audit report 765 may include data 764 (whereavailable) supporting care decisions made on behalf of many individualseach of whom was readmitted (hospitalized more than once for aparticular condition, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, in somecontexts, such an association 776 (between the “second” patient 992 andan indication 777 of apparently-excessive institutional readmissions,e.g.) may be established by an electronic request 771 (received fromremote requestor 993 and directly invoking retrieval module 925, e.g.).More generally, such actions taken with reference to one or morecriteria are “selective” (as used in FIGS. 24-27 below, e.g.) if atleast one of the criteria is used as a determinant in deciding whichdata components (records, e.g.) will not be included in or affected bythe action.

With reference now to FIG. 10, shown is an example of a system 10 inwhich one or more technologies may be implemented. One interface 1001(e.g. a desktop system 841, 941) is configured for use (e.g. by aphysician, administrator, or other authorized entity 1091) in enteringand transmitting an order 1018 or other such content (of a protocol 130or condition 170, e.g.) via one or more networks 1090 as describedabove. The one or more networks 1090 are also configured to contactentity 1091 (using contact information 720 for the same interface 1001or another interface 1002 associated with the same entity 1091, e.g.)under some conditions as described herein, such as to request anindication of the effectiveness of a treatment (protocol 130, e.g.) thatthe entity might have tried or witnessed recently. In some contexts,this permits protocol data 1090 (average evaluations 1053 or use counts1054, e.g.) to be generated or updated (on various instance of media105, 405, 505, 605, 705 in network 1050, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 16, shown is a high-level logic flow 16 of anoperational process. Intensive operation 36 describes obtaining anindication of a first protocol being employed in relation to aparticular condition in a first patient (e.g. input module 313 receivinga record 564 indicating that an order 1018 was placed for a particulardrug 141 or protocol 140 prescribed or purchased for the treatment of aparticular condition 170 in patient 292). This can occur, for example,in a context in which device 305 includes one or more media 105 (onnetwork 1090, e.g.) bearing an average evaluation 1053, use count 1054,or other such quantified protocol data 1050 as described below (as adata component 147 associated with the particular condition 170 and withthe particular drug 141 or protocol 140, e.g.). In some contexts,moreover, input module may receive the indication as an inquiry into theprospect of treating condition 170 with one or more protocols 130, 140and may record such inquiries in record 564. Alternatively oradditionally, input module 313 and request module 332 may be configuredto perform operation 36 jointly by initiating communication with someonegenerally familiar with the protocol 140 (a nurse or pharmacist who canadminister the particular drug 141 or protocol 140, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for motivating or monitoring voluntary participation ininformation management protocols as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,118 (“Systems andmethods for universal enhanced log-in, identity document verification,and dedicated survey participation”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,554 (“Systemfor delivering an educational program to a remote site and formonitoring participation therein”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,532 (“Method ofsoliciting a user to input survey data at an electronic commerceterminal”); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/066,442(“Cost-effective resource apportionment technologies suitable forfacilitating therapies”).

Extensive operation 53 describes requesting an effectiveness indicationof the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entityvalidating the first protocol and partly based on a first communicationdelay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delayexceeding one hour (e.g. request module 331 asking one or more entities1091 who validated the particular protocol for an effectivenessindicator 456 signaling how effective the particular protocol was forthe treatment of condition 170 in patient 292). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which an entity 1091 signals one or morevalidations 701, 702 of the treatment by prescribing, purchasing,administering, or authorizing the particular drug 141 or protocol 140for the treatment of condition 170 in patient 292 and in which one ormore data components 127, 137, 147 define respective communicationdelays 542, 543, 544 so that request module 331 transmits a query (bytelephone or e-mail, e.g.) to the entity 1091 (practitioner or patient,e.g.) only after the treatment has probably failed or started to work.In a context in which a 10-day course of an antibiotic (as protocol 130,e.g.) would be expected to alleviate a fever (as condition 160, e.g.) ina few hours or days, for example, a corresponding communication delay543 of about 5 days (within an order of magnitude, e.g.) will beappropriate for obtaining a score 455 (on a 0-5 scale, e.g.) or othereffectiveness indicator 456 as a delayed automatic response to theordering or administration of the antibiotic. In less urgent contexts,moreover, an expected delivery time (in hours or days, e.g.) may beincluded for some of the communication delays 541-544 (those for which adrug 141 or other material component of a protocol 140 is delivered to apatient's home 289, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, request module331 may be configured to send the same request to a particular entity1091 via more than one interface 1001, 1002 (using both an e-mailaddress 721 and a telephone number 722 associated with a singleidentified entity 1091, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for transmitting queries or other information requests asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,073,013 (“Method and apparatus for collecting survey data via theinternet”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,962,359 (“Method and system for collectingand disseminating survey data over the interne”); U.S. Pat. No.7,836,073 (“Method and system for transmitting pre-formulated query todatabase”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,547 (“Method for transmitting ananonymous request from a consumer to a content or service providerthrough a telecommunication network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,214 (“Mobilenode for transmitting a request for information which specifies atransfer device to be used”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,532 (“Method ofsoliciting a user to input survey data at an electronic commerceterminal”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,014 (“Method and apparatus foradministering a survey via a television transmission network”).

Extensive operation 57 describes signaling a decision whether to updatea prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether theeffectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from theentity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entitypartly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partlybased on the first communication delay associated with the firstprotocol (e.g. statement module 382 incrementing a use count 1054 inresponse to receiving a Facebook-style “like” signal from a patient 292who used the protocol). This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich the patient 292 was the “entity” contacted in operation 53 (viacontact information 720, e.g.); in which the patient 292 was sent arequest for such a “like” signal after protocol 140 had enough time (tofail or start working, e.g.), in which a total count of such “like”signals is a “prominence indication” (of protocol 140, e.g.), in whichthe communication delay and the “first” patient's identity are recordedbut not published, and in which a new best practice could not otherwisewin widespread recognition within a year of someone devising thepractice. In some contexts, for example, a nurse or other care providerfamiliar with one or more protocols 120, 130 (as they apply to condition160, e.g.) can designate one or more corresponding delays (based on asuccess, when a difference is typically seen, or on a side effect onsetor other symptom change distribution, e.g.). In a context in whichprotocol 120 comprises a spinal fusion, for example, a correspondingdelay 2126 may be between 6 and 12 months. (See FIG. 21.) In a contextin which protocol 130 comprises administering an antihypertensive (forcondition 170, e.g.), a corresponding delay 2137 may be on the order of1.0 months (within an order of magnitude, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, statement module 382 may perform operation 57 bytransmitting an average evaluation 1053 computed based oneffectiveness-indicative numerical scores 455 received from each ofseveral entities 1091. This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich multiple entities have each responded to a corresponding query 573(like “We need to know how effective you thought this treatment was on azero-to-five scale . . . please press or say ‘5’ to indicate that thetreatment was perfectly effective . . . please press or say ‘0’ toindicate that the treatment was completely ineffective,” e.g.)transmitted by request module 331 and in which such an average (as arolling or inception-to-date average, e.g.) is a “prominence indication”of the treatment or other protocol.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for calculating and disseminating prominence indications asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,078,606 (“Rank-based estimate of relevance values”); U.S. Pat. No.8,069,080 (“Methods for generating healthcare provider quality and costrating data”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,669 (“Apparatus for automaticallyconverting numeric data to a processor efficient format for performingarithmetic operations”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,046,371 (“Scoring local searchresults based on location prominence”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,643 (“Methodand apparatus for rating user generated content in search results”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,865,171 (“Method and system for rating notification”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,826,965 (“Systems and methods for determining arelevance rank for a point of interest”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,005(“Issue tracking system using a criteria rating matrix and workflownotification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,630,913 (“Automated processing ofmedical data for disability rating determinations”); and U.S. Pat. No.6,832,245 (“System and method for analyzing communications of usermessages to rank users and contacts based on message content”).

With reference now to FIG. 11, shown is an example of a system 11 (asubsystem of one or more networks described above, e.g.) in which one ormore technologies may be implemented. A local unit 1105 owned or used bya caregiver 1191 may be configured to receive one or more orders 1018,1118 or other indications 1126, 1127, 1136, 1137 each comprisingcorresponding data components 126, 127, 136, 137 that each relate to acorresponding specific combination of a condition 160, 170 and protocol120, 130 for its treatment, as shown. In some contexts, one or moreservers 1195 (residing in networks described herein, e.g.) or localcircuitry may provide selective feedback (one or more warnings 1119,e.g.) relating to some such combinations (selected by caregiver 1191,e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 17, shown is a high-level logic flow 17 of anoperational process. Intensive operation 37 describes obtaining anassociation between a particular condition and a first protocol (e.g.input module 311 receiving a record 563 indicating that an order 1118was placed for a particular drug or protocol 130 prescribed or purchasedfor the treatment of a particular condition 160). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which the protocol 130 includes administeringprednisone daily by ingestion and in which the particular condition 160is Bell's palsy, bone pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscular dystrophy,pulmonary fibrosis, or certain other off-label uses of prednisone. Insome contexts, moreover, such protocols 120, 130, 140 may include otherdrugs or non-medicinal components (physical therapy or surgery, e.g.).Moreover input module 311 may, in some variants, be configured to beinvoked by one or more queries 571-574 or other structured dialogs(permitting an expert system 393 to interact with a physician or othercaregiver 1191 via local unit 1105, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for searching for therapies or conditions that may apply to apatient as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 8,008,285 (“Droxidopa and pharmaceutical compositionthereof for the treatment of fibromyalgia”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,005,687(“System, method and computer program product for estimating medicalcosts”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,289 (“System and method for intelligentmanagement of medical care”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,552 (“CNS assay forprediction of therapeutic efficacy for neuropathic pain and otherfunctional illnesses”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,797,145 (“Animal healthdiagnostics”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,552,039 (“Method for sample processingand integrated reporting of dog health diagnosis”); U.S. Pat. No.7,490,048 (“Apparatus and method for processing and/or for providinghealthcare information and/or healthcare-related information”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,346,523 (“Processing an insurance claim using electronicversions of supporting documents”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,595 (“Automatedmethod for diagnosing and monitoring the outcomes of atrialfibrillation”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,626 (“Patient monitoring systemincluding speech recognition capability”).

Intensive operation 44 describes causing a comparison between athreshold and a prominence indication of treating the particularcondition with the first protocol after the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol is obtained (e.g. invocationmodule 373 triggering comparator 391 to generate an output 195 bycomparing a prominence indication 1136 with a threshold 191). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which one or more devices 305(including media 105, 405, 505, 705, e.g.) reside in server 1195 and inwhich response module 351 selects the threshold 191 according to whoinitiates the association (as a function of a user identifier 523 of aspecific caregiver 1191 or caregiver type, e.g.) or to what condition160 or protocol 130 has been associated. In some contexts, for example,more esteemed caregivers or less hazardous conditions and protocols maywarrant a threshold 192 corresponding to a lower prominence (signalingless scrutiny and more latitude in the caregiver's choice of treatmentprotocols, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, invocation module 373may trigger a comparison implemented in a formula (as a subtraction,e.g.). In some contexts, moreover, a less-prominent protocol may berequested by a patient 292 or warranted by the patient's situation.Alternatively or additionally, invocation module 373 may be configuredto trigger a storage operation in which one or more instances ofprominence indications 1136; thresholds 191; comparison results;quantifications of reputation or scrutiny or latitude (characterizingcaregiver 1191, e.g.); or other output 195 are stored in one or morerecords 569-569, 671-675 as described herein (e.g. in a data component136-138, 146-148 relating to an elected protocol 130, 140).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for selecting and applying thresholds or other criteria asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,069,236 (“Flow control of events based on threshold, grace period, andevent signature”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,061,592 (“Overdraft thresholdanalysis and decisioning”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,005,685 (“Ranking air travelsearch results based upon user criteria”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,171(“Projector cooling system with time dependent temperature threshold”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,995 (“Dynamic adjustment of inactivity timerthreshold for call control transactions”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,894,448(“Proving that a user profile satisfies selection criteria for targeteddata delivery”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,849,398 (“Decision criteria forautomated form population”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,742,193 (“Method forinspecting prints identifying differences exceeding a threshold”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,624,447 (“Using threshold lists for worm detection”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,592,859 (“Apparatus to compare an input voltage with athreshold voltage”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,301 (“System and method forimplementing real-time adaptive threshold triggering in acousticdetection systems”).

Extensive operation 54 describes signaling a decision whether to cautiona caregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol (e.g. response module 356transmitting an “obscure treatment option” warning 1119 to caregiver1191 if the threshold 191 exceeds the prominence indication 1136 andotherwise not transmitting any such warning). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which server 1195 is on several networks 290,890, 990; in which searching various records archives 820, 920 can takeseveral minutes or hours to determine a prominence indication 1136; inwhich local unit 1105 includes an e-mail or other text message displaycapability operable to deliver such warnings; in which a hospital 201 orfield of practice uses a standard numerical threshold for all prominenceindication comparisons; and in which the caregiver 1191 would otherwiseselect among several protocols 120, 130 for the particular condition(s)160, 170 without knowing which of them had recently become popular inthe caregiver's field of practice. In a context in which highernumerical indications 1126 signify more prominence and in which athreshold is set at 4, for example, such threshold may be met(sufficient to avoid triggering a cautionary message to caregiver 1191,e.g.) by determining either that 4 instances of condition 160 had beentreated with protocol 120 (for an implementation incorporating a usecount 1054, e.g.) or that one or more entities indicated theeffectiveness of treating condition 160 with protocol 120 with anaverage evaluation of at least 4 (for an implementation incorporating anaverage evaluation 1053, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, responsemodule 356 may be configured to implement a conditional decision tocaution a caregiver 1191 with one or more of a font effect (a bolding orbright color selectively applied for lower-prominence therapies, e.g.),audible warning 1119 (a tone, e.g.), or modal dialog box (displaying amessage like “are you sure you want to order this unconventionaltreatment?” at local unit 1105 before finalizing order 1118, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing a conditional message as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,837(“Conditional aircraft cabin warning and signalling system fordetermining the cabin status”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,454 (“System andmethod for warning an operator of a vehicle if the vehicle is operatingin a condition that may result in drive belt failure”); U.S. Pat. No.6,452,487 (“System and method for warning of a tip over condition in atractor trailer or tanker”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,707 (“Detecting a lowperformance takeoff condition for aircraft for use with ground proximitywarning systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,392 (“Alert device for providinga warning of a baby's condition which may lead to the onset of SIDS”);U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,556 (“Apparatus and method for detecting alow-battery power condition and generating a user perceptible warning”);U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,554 (“Severe weather detection apparatus and methodof detecting and warning of severe weather conditions”); and U.S. Pat.No. 6,211,791 (“Warning system for excessive apparent temperatureconditions”).

With reference now to FIG. 12, shown is an example of a system 12 (e.g.a subsystem of one or more networks 290, 890, 990, 1090, 1290) in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. A motor vehicle or otherdevice 1241 associated with a care administration space (a location 1204inside or near ambulance 1295 configured to permit one or morecaregivers 1291 to treat a patient 1292 in trauma, e.g.) may include oneor more instances of wireless transceivers 1211, wall mountings 1213,display screens 1216, or couplings 1218 to external power. Also in somecontexts, as described below, device 1241 may be configured to obtainand present one or more medical records 1217 (comprising one or moredata components 126, 128 relating to an emergency protocol 120 or to aspecific patient 1292 relayed via display screen 1216, e.g.). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which a wrist band 1223 or otherdevice 1242 worn or held by patient 1292 contains one or moreimplementations of conditional consent 1222 (configured by patient 1292prior to an emergency, e.g.) or transponders 1225 as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 18, shown is a high-level logic flow 18 of anoperational process. Intensive operation 39 describes obtaining anassociation between a care administration space and a first device (e.g.configuration module 322 making a record 568 in which an identifier 734of the “first” device 242, 1241 is associated with an identifier 732 ofan ambulance 1295 or other location 204 allocated to providing patients292 medical care). This can occur, for example, in a context in which“first” device 242, 1241 includes a wall mounting 1213 fixing it inrelation to the care administration space; in which the “first” deviceincludes a wireless transmitter 394 or transceiver 1211 detectable by a“second” device as described below; and in which the care administrationspace is defined by the effective range of the wireless transmitter 394or transceiver 1211. In some contexts, for example, such locations 204may include an emergency room or urgent care clinic. Alternatively oradditionally, a regional server 1195 or other stationary device innetwork 1290 may be configured to obtain GPS data 751 indicating acurrent position of an ambulance 1295 or other mobile careadministration space that may then be compared with GPS data 752indicating a current position of a device held or worn by patient 292(e.g. through network 1290 in lieu of direct wireless transmissionbetween proximate devices 1241, 1242). In some contexts, moreover, the“first” device may comprise an external power coupling 1218 configuredto power the “first” device for an indefinite period (via a vehiclebattery or similar source that is maintained daily, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for configuring a device for direct or indirect wirelesscommunication as described herein without undue experimentation. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,986,940 (“Automatic wireless network linkingmethod with security configuration and device thereof”); U.S. Pat. No.7,940,744 (“System, apparatus and method for automated wireless deviceconfiguration”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,929,950 (“Dynamically configurable IPbased wireless device and wireless networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,916,707(“Identity-based wireless device configuration”); U.S. Pat. No.7,885,687 (“Device for updating configuration information in a wirelessnetwork”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,778,752 (“System for connecting a telematicsdevice to a vehicle using a wireless receiver configured to transmitdiagnostic data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,231 (“Method to wirelesslyconfigure a wireless device for wireless communication over a securewireless network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,643,828 (“Method and apparatus forfast link setup in a wireless communication system”); U.S. Pat. No.7,616,594 (“Wireless device discovery and configuration”); and U.S. Pat.No. 7,233,745 (“Field device configured for wireless datacommunication”).

Intensive operation 46 describes obtaining via a second device a patientconsent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record,the second device being a mobile device (e.g. input module 315 receivingpre-emergency input 551 from or about a patient 492 that includes aconditional consent 1222 permitting a release of the one or more medicalrecords 567, 1217 of the patient's to a caregiver 991, 1291 that iscontingent upon the occurrence of an emergency). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which the patient 492 (who can, in someinstances, be the same individual as one or more other identifiedpatients depicted herein, e.g.) enters such pre-emergency input 551 (bya menu selection, e.g.) using a handheld device (the “second” device1242, e.g.); in which the “occurrence of an emergency” is manifested asthe “second” device entering the “care administration space” (e.g.location 204, 1204); and in which the authorization to release the“first” medical record would otherwise be much slower (due to trauma,e.g.). In some contexts, for example, the “first” device may beconfigured to include one or more media 105, 505 bearing suchcontingently-releasable medical records 1217 for most or all registeredpatients 992, 1292 (patients enrolled in registry 109, e.g.) in a region(county or state, e.g.) so that the “first” and “second” devices 1241,1242 may easily interact directly and locally (not via network 1290,e.g.) with or without network 1290 being online. Alternatively oradditionally, the “second” device may include a wrist band 1223 wearableby an at-risk patient 1292 (e.g. one suffering from dementia, epilepsy,or other medical conditions that make it more likely that a patient maybe unable to consent to a records transfer).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for conducting a structured dialogue with a patient orcaregiver as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,250 (“Methods and apparatus for predictiveanalysis”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,024,179 (“System and method for improvinginteraction with a user through a dynamically alterable spoken dialogsystem”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,556 (“Dialog manager for interactivedialog with computer user”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,656 (“System and methodfor providing an intelligent multi-step dialog with a user”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,461,000 (“System and methods for conducting an interactive dialogvia a speech-based user interface”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,954(“Interaction education system for teaching patient care”).

Extensive operation 56 describes invoking circuitry for causing thefirst device to receive the first medical record partly based on thesecond device entering the care administration space and partly based onthe patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record(e.g. invocation module 372 causing display screen 1216 of device 1241to display medical record 1217 as an automatic response to the “second”device 1242 entering the care administration space and partly based onthe prior configuration of above-described conditional consent 1222 (inoperation 46, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, such configurationmay have been implemented by a non-emergency caregiver 991 who providesthe patient with the “second” device 1242. Alternatively oradditionally, in some contexts, a local entity (a hospital 201 orambulance company, e.g.) may own the first device, a patient may own thesecond device, and a third entity may own the invoked “circuitry.”

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for identifying wireless devices in a region of interest asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.7,903,905 (“Pen-shaped scanning device having a region identitysensor”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,869,807 (“Method of managing a codeidentifying a wireless device with conflict minimized in a wirelesstelecommunications system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,319,876 (“System and methodfor using equipment identity information in providing location servicesto a wireless communication device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,295,120 (“Devicefor verifying a location of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tagon an item”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,791,477 (“Method and apparatus foridentifying waypoints and providing keyless remote entry in a handheldlocator device”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,512 (“Device location andidentification system”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,747 (“Method and devicefor identifying an object and determining its location”).

With reference now to FIG. 13, shown is an example of a system 13 (e.g.a subsystem of one or more networks 290, 890, 990, 1090, 1290) in whichone or more technologies may be implemented. As shown, caregiver 1391wears a device 1342 (on a lanyard or clothing 1349, e.g.) configured toinclude a caregiver identifier 1332 that identifies her. Likewisepatient 1331 wears a device 1341 configured to include a patientidentifier 1331 that identifies him (on a gown or wrist band 1223,e.g.). In some variants, such wearable devices 1341, 1342 are configuredto interact wirelessly (either with one another or with a wall-mounteddevice 1343, e.g.) as an automatic response to being in a commonlocation (e.g. at location 1204, 1304).

With reference now to FIG. 19, shown is a high-level logic flow 19 of anoperational process. Intensive operation 38 describes obtaining anindication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patienthospitalized for a particular condition (e.g. configuration module 322associating a specific patient 1392 with a patient identifier 1331 on anarticle wearable by a patient 1392 who has been admitted to hospital 201for a specific pathology 181 or complaint 513). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which the article (a wrist band 1223, e.g.) isassigned to patient 1392 upon checking in to the hospital; in whichconfiguration module 322 was invoked at that time (at patient intake,e.g.); and in which one or more instances of device 305 reside on one ormore networks described herein (in a wall-mounted device 1343 or server1195 of hospital 201, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, a stationarydevice 1343 may perform operation 38 by detecting a device 1341associated with patient 1392 in a given location 1304 (entering hishospital room, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for permitting an identification of a person by a wearablearticle as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,008 (“Emergency responder credentialing system andmethod”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,049,597 (“Systems and methods for securelymonitoring an individual”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,039,093 (“Method forpreparing tamperproof ID documents”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,043 (“Fraudprevention in issuance of identification credentials”); U.S. Pat. No.7,979,286 (“Patient-interactive healthcare management”); U.S. Pat. No.7,975,913 (“Discernment card and a discernment card business systemusing the discernment card”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,370 (“Removablepatient identification strap for blood recipient verification”); andU.S. Pat. No. 6,748,687 (“Multi-web business form having moisture proofwristband, identification labels and web joint”).

Intensive operation 41 describes obtaining an indication of a seconddevice associated with and wearable by a caregiver (e.g. configurationmodule 321 associating a specific caregiver 1391 with a caregiveridentifier 1332 on an article wearable by the caregiver). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which the article (on a badge orlanyard or in a wrist band or article of clothing 1349, e.g.) wasassigned to caregiver 1391 upon arriving at the facility and in whichconfiguration module 321 was invoked at that time. Alternatively oradditionally, a stationary device 1343 (mounted on a wall, e.g.) mayperform operation 41 by detecting a device 1342 associated withcaregiver 1391 in a given location 1304 (entering her patient's hospitalroom, e.g.).

Intensive operation 45 describes causing a recordation of a timestamp asan automatic response to the first device associated with and wearableby the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by thecaregiver both being in a single common location (e.g. configurationmodule 324 storing a timestamp 711 indicating when both caregiver 1391and patient 1392 were together in location 1304). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which timestamp 711 is generated from a digitalclock 392; in which record 710 is initially aggregated at one or moredevices 1341-1343 locally, in which one or more records archives 820,920 later received record 710 in a batch data aggregation process, andin which the “single common location” is a hospital room or a detectionrange of one or more devices 1341-1343. In some implementations, forexample, device 1341 may include one or more configuration modules321-326 as described herein and may be configured to perform operations38, 41, and 45 (in lieu of device 1343, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, in some variants, device 1342 may likewise include one ormore configuration modules 321-326 as described herein and may beconfigured to implement device 305 (e.g. operable to perform operations38, 41, and 45).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing an automatic timestamp and recordation asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,000,979 (“Automated patient management system”); U.S. Pat. No.7,844,837 (“Electronic device and timer therefor with tamper event timestamp features and related methods”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,643,465 (“Methodfor insertion of time stamp into real time data within a wirelesscommunications network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,289,651 (“Image reportingmethod and system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,283,566 (“Method and circuit forgenerating time stamp data from an embedded-clock audio data stream anda video clock”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,158 (“System for transmitting videoimages over a computer network to a remote receiver”); U.S. Pat. No.7,100,210 (“Hood intrusion and loss of AC power detection with automatictime stamp”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,396 (“Wireless internet bio-telemetrymonitoring system and interface”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,122 (“Systemsand methods for screening for adverse effects of a treatment”).

Extensive operation 55 causing a retrieval of the timestamp in responseto an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordationof the timestamp indicating the first device associated with andwearable by the patient and the second device associated with andwearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location(e.g. response module 352 retrieving a record 710 including such timingdata 453 from one or more records archives 820, 920 in response to arequest 581 indicative of patient 1392 being readmitted to one or morehospitals 201, 202 for the same specific pathology 181 or complaint513). This can occur, for example, in a context in which suchreadmission for the particular condition would otherwise trigger areduction in payment for one or more prior hospitalizations. In somecontexts, for example, one or more remote requestors 893, 993 may haveinitiated a prior instance of operation 55 (performed by a remoteinstance of invocation module 371, e.g.) in which an entity's request581 for records included a readmission-indicative report type 521(having a name that includes “readmission,” e.g.), areadmission-indicative request authorization 522 (from an agency thatmonitors excessive readmissions, e.g.), a query reciting or prompted byreadmission, or other such explicit or implicit indications 525 ofreadmission that might have been avoidable if a prior hospitalization ortreatment had been executed correctly. Alternatively or additionally,response module 352 may be configured to perform operation 55 byretrieving and transmitting such a timestamp-containing record 710(indicative of when the first and second devices 1341, 1342 were both inthe single common location 1304, e.g.) to one or more remote requestors893, 993.

With reference now to FIG. 20, shown is context in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented. System 2000 includes one or moredata-handling media 2005 (residing in an instance of device 305, e.g.)operably coupled with one or more search engines 2098 on networks 2090as described above. Medium 2005 may include one or more instances ofsearch terms 2010 (e.g. comprising criteria 2001, 2002); names 2011,audit identifiers 2012, or other such indications 2013; search results2030; values 2061, 2062; or queries 2071, 2072 as described below.

With reference now to FIG. 21, shown is context in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented. System 2100 may (optionally) includeone or more data-handling media 2105 (configured to transmit or storedata, e.g.) residing in an instance of device 305 or otherwise on anetwork 290 as described above. In some variants, medium 2105 may bearone or more instances of zone description data 2117 (e.g. representingone or more service zones 207, 208 or other locations 204, 1204, 1304);data components 126, 127, 136, 137 (in tabular form, e.g.); reports2143, 2144, 2145; requests 2146; signals 2151, 2152, 2153, 2154(comprising audio data 2157 or other encoded data 2158, e.g.); searchterms 2180 (comprising one or more text strings 2181, 2182, 2183connected by logical operators, e.g.); messages 2190 (comprising phonecalls 2191, text 2192, and annotations 2193 as described below, e.g.);and hyperlinks 2196, menu options 2197, or other such controls 2195(comprising one or more interfaces 1001, 1002 or other devices describedabove, e.g.). In some contexts, data component 126 (as described above)may include one or more delays 2126 corresponding specifically to thehandling of condition 160 with protocol 120; data component 127 (asdescribed above) may include one or more delays 2127 correspondingspecifically to the handling of condition 170 with protocol 120; datacomponent 136 (as described above) may include one or more delays 2136corresponding specifically to the handling of condition 160 withprotocol 130; and data component 137 (as described above) may includeone or more delays 2137 corresponding specifically to the handling ofcondition 170 with protocol 130. Moreover in some variants each instanceof audio data 2157 may include one or more timestamps 711 as well asother data 712 (transcripts or labels of patient interview clips,recorded physician remarks, concurrent diagnostic data 490, or otherevents encoded as text 2192 or other annotations 2193 relating to rawauditory data with which they are archived, e.g.).

With reference now to FIG. 22, shown is context in which one or moretechnologies may be implemented. System 2200 may include two or moredevices 2205, 2215 having a linkage 2211 therebetween as describedbelow. In various embodiments, device 2205 may include one or moreinstances of lookup modules 2221, 2222; update modules 2228, 2229;detection modules 2241, 2242, 2243, 2244, 2245, 2246; cameras 2253 orother sensors 2254; or processors 2255 as described below. Alternativelyor additionally, device 2205 may comprise a machine 2230 (configured forvending or other dispensations of drugs 141, foods, or other goods 691,e.g.); a battery or other on-board power supply 2258; or one or morespeakers 2257 (configured to manifest a warning 1119 or other audio data2157 as described below, e.g.). In various implementations, device 2215may likewise include one or more instances of food containers(refrigerators or cupboards 2271, e.g.); actuators 2272 (of a dispenser,e.g.); exercise machines 2273 (relating to a regimen 650, e.g.);handhelds 2274 (telephones, e.g.); detectable structures 2275(transponder or barcode, e.g.); adhesives 2277; wristbands 2278; orbuttons 2279. Alternatively or additionally, device 2215 may comprisemedical equipment 2280 (devices configured for imaging or measurement,e.g.). One or more of devices 2205, 2215 may be configured to implementan instance of device 305 and to include one or more media 105, 405,505, 605, 705, 2005, or 2105 depicted above.

With reference now to flow 2300 of FIG. 23 and to other flows 14-19described above, in some variants, one or more of operations 2322, 2325may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations describedabove or in preparation for one or more extensive operations describedabove. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of operations 2374,2378, 2379 may likewise be performed in response to one or moreintensive operations described above or in conjunction with extensiveoperations described above.

Intensive operation 2322 describes receiving a communication delay asdata entered by a user (e.g. input module 312 receiving data 2158 thatincludes delay 2137 from an end user device 2215 or system 841, 941).This can occur, for example, in a context in which the user is acaregiver or patient 292 who operates an implementation of device 305;in which input module 312 can accept such data 2158 as a user preference725 (e.g. by asking “when should we contact you?”); in which delay 2137comprises an integer number of days; and in which means for performingone or more intensive operations 35-46 as described above include animplementation of device 305. Alternatively or additionally, one or moreinput modules 311-319 may be configured to obtain other such data 2158as described herein. In one such configuration, for example, inputmodule 317 may be configured to let the user enter an e-mail address721, telephone number 722, or other contact information 720 manifestingone or more of the user's preferences 725 (to be used in operation 2374described below, e.g.).

Intensive operation 2325 describes looking up a communication delay as afunction of a therapeutic protocol (e.g. lookup module 2221 returningdelay 2137 selectively in response to an indication that protocol 130 isbeing used for treating someone). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation of device 2205; inwhich a data component 127 associated with a different therapeuticprotocol 120 includes a communication delay 2127 of 2.0 hours (as adigital expression, e.g.); in which one or more data components 137, 138specifically associated with therapeutic protocol 130 each includes acommunication delay 2137 that is more than 2.0 hours; and in which anappropriate entity (a caregiver 1391 or expert consultant, e.g.) hasdetermined that such a communication delay 2137 will be more effective(than a shorter delay 2127, e.g.) following a triggering event (an orderor administration, e.g.) for eliciting participation from a populationof patients or caregivers who adopt a therapeutic protocol 130. In somecontexts, for example, a table of suitable communication delays 2126,2136, 2127, 2137 may be estimated (by a survey of experienced nurses orphysician's assistants, e.g.) as a median time within which each givencondition 160, 170 typically produces a detectable change in symptoms(relating to each respective protocol, e.g.). In some contexts,moreover, a slightly longer period (by 1% to 50% or 1-3 standarddeviations across a survey distribution, e.g.) may be preferable.Alternatively or additionally, the lookup result (communication delay2137, e.g.) may depend as a function of a medical condition (beingshorter than a communication delay 2136 associated with the sameprotocol 130 but a different condition 160, e.g.). Such a configurationof tabular data may be useful, for example, in a context in whichprotocol 130 (taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, e.g.)typically provides a faster detectable response in treating condition170 (shortness of breath, e.g.) than in treating condition 160 (legswelling, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing lookup functions as described herein withoutundue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,982 (“Method andapparatus for color space conversion using per-color selection oflook-up table density”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,921,088 (“Logical operationsencoded by a function table for compressing index bits in multi-levelcompressed look-up tables”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,916,137 (“Generation of 3Dlook-up tables for image processing devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,847,989(“Method for conversion of a colour space using separate chromatic andluminance look-up tables”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,706,034 (“Multi-Dimensionallook-up table generation via adaptive node selection based upon colorcharacteristics of an input image”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,558,961 (“Systemsand methods for embedding messages in look-up tables”); U.S. Pat. No.7,370,069 (“Numerical value conversion using a look-up table forcoefficient storage”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,346,642 (“Arithmetic processorutilizing multi-table look up to obtain reciprocal operands”); and U.S.Pat. No. 6,981,080 (“Look-up table based USB identification”).

Intensive operation 2327 describes looking up a communication delay as afunction of a medical condition (e.g. lookup module 2222 selecting delay2137 in response to an indication that a patient 292 is being treatedfor condition 170). This can occur, for example, in a context in which adata component 136 associated with a different condition 160 includes acommunication delay 2136 of 2.0 calendar months (as a digitalexpression, e.g.); in which one or more data components 137, 147specifically associated with medical condition 170 each includes acommunication delay 2137 that is less than 2.0 calendar months; and inwhich an appropriate entity (a specialist or other physician, e.g.) hasdetermined that such a communication delay 2137 will be more effective(than a longer delay 2136, e.g.) following a triggering event (anestimated delivery time, e.g.) for eliciting participation from apopulation of caregivers or patients who treat or suffer from medicalcondition 170. Alternatively or additionally, the lookup result (datacomponent 137, e.g.) may depend as a function of a therapeutic protocol(having a communication delay 2137 longer than that of a data component127 associated with the same condition 170 but a different protocol 120,e.g.). Such a configuration of tabular data may be useful, for example,in a context in which treating condition 170 (back pain, e.g.) withprotocol 130 (a particular weightlifting exercise in a sauna, e.g.) willnot generally permit an evaluation of treatment effectiveness as soon asthat of protocol 120 (medication, e.g.).

Extensive operation 2374 describes transmitting a query as an automaticresponse to an expiration of the communication delay (e.g. statementmodule 381 transmitting one or more queries 571-574 relating to protocol120 or to condition 160 only after waiting for a time interval specifiedby delay 2126). This can occur, for example, in a context in which oneor more of operations 2322, 2325, 2327 have been performed; in which aprior communication (such as an input 551-552 or query 571-574 orrequest 581, 582 or order 1018, 1118) or other event described hereintolled the beginning of the time interval and in which means forperforming one or more extensive operations 51-57 as described aboveinclude an implementation of device 305. Alternatively or additionally,in various embodiments, statement module 381 may be configured totrigger one or more other extensive operations as described herein uponsuch expiration.

Extensive operation 2378 describes causing an individual to be contactedby a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response toreceiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication,the prior mode of communication being telephonic (e.g. response module354 taking no action if a reply 555 to a phone call 2191 is receivedbefore an expiration of delay 541 but otherwise initiating anothermessage 2190 to the individual). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which the delay 541 is on the order of ten seconds (within anorder of magnitude, e.g.); in which the reply 555 may take the form of akey press or utterance (as indicated in FIG. 10, e.g.) during the phonecall 2191; and in which the fallback mode of communication includes adelivery (by a fax or other machine 2230 installed in the individual'shome 289 or office or by an automatically placed order to a third partywith delivery instructions, e.g.) of a physical article (in whichmessage 2190 comprises one or more instance of reminder letters or goods691, e.g.) to the individual. Alternatively or additionally, in acontext in which a foreseeable reply 555 may take the form of a returnphone call 2191, e-mail message (containing specific text 2192, oronline session (via the Internet, e.g.), the delay 541 may be on theorder of one hour or one week (within 1 or 2 orders of magnitude, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for determining whether specific input has been received froma person within a particular time interval as described herein withoutundue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,055,240 (“Method ofnotifying a caller of message confirmation in a wireless communicationsystem”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,045,693 (“Message reception confirmationmethod, communications terminal and message reception confirmationsystem”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,624 (“System for, and method of, provingthe transmission, receipt and content of a reply to an electronicmessage”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,483,721 (“Communication device providingdiverse audio signals to indicate receipt of a call or message”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,283,807 (“Method and telecommunication system for indicatingthe receipt of a data message”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,031,734 (“System andmethod for confirming short message service (SMS) message reception inmobile communication terminal”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,020,458 (“Method andtelecommunication system for indicating the receipt of a data message”);U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,341 (“Method and apparatus for announcing receipt ofan electronic message”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,485 (“Method and systemfor confirming receipt of a message by a message reception unit”).

Extensive operation 2379 describes contacting an individual by afallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional responseto receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode ofcommunication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic (e.g.response module 355 taking no action if a reply 555 to a prior message2190 is received within a time interval 538 but otherwise initiating aphone call 2191 to the individual). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which the prior message 2190 (comprising text 2192 or a phonequery 571, e.g.) was sent by a request module 331, 332 as describedabove; in which the prior message 2190 included a hyperlink 2196, menuoption 2197, or other such control 2195 configured to facilitate theindividual providing input 552 to response module 355 without the needto include any direct communication with other individuals; in which thetime interval 538 began when the prior message 2190 was sent; in whichresponse module 355 infers the “receiving no reply from the individual”if the time interval 538 ends without such input 552; and in which meansfor performing one or more extensive operations 51-57 as described aboveinclude an implementation of device 305. In some implementations, forexample, the time interval 538 may be on the order of 3.0 days or of 3.0months (within an order of magnitude, e.g.). Alternatively oradditionally, response module 355 may be configured (as an auto-dialer,e.g.) to initiate a phone call 2191 between a call center 295 and theindividual (a caregiver or patient 292, e.g.) as an automatic responsepartly based on the time interval 538 having expired and partly based onan immediate availability of a call center agent 294 (manifested as anindication 684 of the agent's current status, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for facilitating the operation of a call center or otherwiseinitiating communications as described herein without undueexperimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,213 (“Method ofcontrolling access to network resources using information in electronicmail messages”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,935 (“Conditional communication”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,783,023 (“Systems and methods for providing unifiedcollaboration systems with conditional communication handling”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,484,048 (“Conditional message delivery to holder of locksrelating to a distributed locking manager”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,042,338(“Alerting a care-provider when an elderly or infirm person in distressfails to acknowledge a periodically recurrent interrogative cue”); U.S.Pat. No. 6,307,937 (“Method and apparatus for an adapter card providingconditional access in a communication system”); and U.S. Pat. No.6,108,709 (“System for sending an e-mail message to a first type ofterminal based upon content thereof and selected conditions andselectively forwarding it to a second type of terminal”).

With reference now to flow 2400 of FIG. 24 and to other flows 14-19,2300 described above, in some variants, one or more of operations 2424,2426 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations describedabove or in preparation for one or more extensive operations describedabove. Alternatively or additionally, one or more of operations 2471,2475 may likewise be performed in response to one or more intensiveoperations described above or in conjunction with extensive operationsdescribed above.

Intensive operation 2424 describes updating a locally-residentsubscriber registry in response to an individual entering a service zone(e.g. update module 2228 adding an identifier 733 of the individual to aregistry 109 stored on a medium 105 in service zone 207 in response toan indication 683 that the individual has entered service zone 207).This can occur, for example, in a context in which the individual is apatient 292, 1392 as described herein; in which service zone 207 is adefined region (a county or metropolitan area, e.g.); in which device2205 is on network 290; in which device 2215 is held or worn by patient292; in which detection module 2242 detects that patient 292 has enteredservice zone 207 by comparing zone description data 2117 (definingservice zone 207, e.g.) with GPS data 752 indicating a current positionof device 2215; in which detection module 2242 responds by passing theindication 683 to update module 2228; and in which means for performingone or more intensive operations 35-46 as described above include animplementation of device 2205. Alternatively or additionally, detectionmodule 2242 may determine whether the individual has entered servicezone 207 simply by detecting whether device 2215 is within a directoperating range of device 2205.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for determining whether a device is in a location or region asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,019,168 (“Motion detecting device and search region variable-shapedmotion detector”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,000,723 (“System of utilizing cellinformation to locate a wireless device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,986,237(“Location management method using RFID series”); U.S. Pat. No.7,932,830 (“Method of assigning and deducing the location of articlesdetected by multiple RFID antennae”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,605,688 (“Vehiclelocation determination system using an RFID system”); U.S. Pat. No.7,573,369 (“System and method for interrogating and locating atransponder relative to a zone-of-interest”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,425(“System and method for defining an event based on relationship betweenan object location and a user-defined zone”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,162(“Method and apparatus to locate a device in a dwelling or otherenclosed space”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,326 (“Method for determiningwhen a communication unit is located within a preferred zone”).

Intensive operation 2426 describes obtaining an indication that aspecific pathology in a particular individual has been treated at afirst hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in theparticular individual has been treated at a second hospital (e.g.retrieval module 343 extracting a first record 671 indicating thatpatient 292 was first treated at hospital 201 for pathology 181 and asecond record 672 indicating that the same patient 292 was later treatedat hospital 202 for the same pathology 181). This can occur, forexample, in a context in which retrieval module 343 comprises one ormore of the means for performing intensive operations 35-46 as describedabove; in which retrieval module 343 has access to one or more recordsarchives 820, 920 pertaining to treatments at both hospitals 201, 202;in which the institutional readmission (whichever was later, e.g.) andsome suspect conditions (those that are not objectively verifiable oreven supported by evidence, e.g.) or protocols (those that signalpossible caprice or ulterior motivation on the part of a patient orcaregiver, e.g.) together suggest a possibility of fraud or neglect thatmight warrant a clawback or payment reduction for one or morehospitalizations or protocols; in which the records 671, 672 identifyone or more protocols 130, 140 performed in relation to the specificpathology 181; and in which such records 671, 672 pertaining to theparticular individual (patient 292, e.g.) both identify pathology 181 inan identical or sufficiently similar manner. Such a context can exist,for example, where retrieval module 343 automatically recognizesidentical or related pathology identifiers 511 in use at both hospitals201, 202. Alternatively or additionally, a user who invokes retrievalmodule 343 (an auditor who has some cause to suspect fraud or abuse,e.g.) may provide two or more instances of pathology identifiers 511(expressed as text strings 2181, 2182 of a search term, e.g.) that areconsidered related, optionally with a name or other identifiers of theparticular individual (as another text string 2183 of the search term,e.g.).

Extensive operation 2471 describes retrieving a medical treatment recordof one individual selectively in response to an explicit indication of apayment reduction that identifies the one individual (e.g. retrievalmodule 341 extracting whichever billing or other records 561-569 containdata components 127, 137, 147 pertaining to treatment of a medicalcondition 170 of a specific patient 292 at hospital 202 in response toan explicit indication 2013 of a potential or actual payment reductionidentifying the specific patient 292). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which means for performing one or more extensive operations51-57 as described above include an implementation of device 305; inwhich the specific patient 292 has been identified by name 2011; inwhich the payment reduction is indicated “explicitly” insofar that theindication 2013 includes an audit identifier 2012 that CMS (Centers forMedicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the United StatesDepartment of Health and Human Services) associates with paymentreductions so that hospitals 201, 202 recognize the significance of theaudit; in which one or more such records 561-569 reside in archive 820;and in which such retrieval is “selective” insofar that medicaltreatment records of other individuals in the same archive 820 are notincluded in the retrieval. This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich one or more remote requestors 893, 993 (federal regulators, e.g.)have singled out an individual (patient 292, e.g.) suspected of “excess”institutional readmissions. Under the healthcare system in the UnitedStates, for example, Section 3025 of Public Law 111-148 (the “PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act,” sometimes called “Obamacare”)states that, “ . . . beginning on or after Oct. 1, 2012, in order toaccount for excess readmissions in the hospital, the Secretary [ofHealth and Human Services] shall reduce the payments that wouldotherwise be made to such hospital . . . .”

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for managing the accounting for a hospital or other medicalprovider as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,162 (“Provider data management and claims editingand settlement system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,962,350 (“Payment of healthcare insurance claims using short-term loans”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,732(“Medicare pharmacy calculator II”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,234 (“Privacyentitlement protocols for secure data exchange, collection, monitoringand/or alerting”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,805,318 (“Using a non-profitorganization to satisfy medicare out-of-pocket/troop and productreplacement”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,043 (“Computerized method and systemfor obtaining, storing and accessing medical records”); U.S. Pat. No.7,433,827 (“System and method for displaying a health status ofhospitalized patients”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,493 (“Delivering electronicversions of supporting documents associated with an insurance claim”);U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,545 (“Medical code system”); and U.S. Pat. No.6,000,828 (“Method of improving drug treatment”).

Extensive operation 2475 describes retrieving a medical treatment recordrelating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response toan explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set(e.g. retrieval module 342 generating a report 2145 comprising numerousdata components 127, 128, 137, 138 relating particularly to a list orset 107 of one or more medical conditions to be extracted from one ormore records archives 820, 920 as an automatic response to a reportrequest 2146 that effectively identifies which medical conditions arebeing audited pursuant to a potential or actual payment reduction). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which at least one suchcondition 180 comprises a pathology 181 associated with one or morespecific text strings 2182, 2183 (e.g. “addict” or “stress disorder”listed in the subset of data components 127, 128, 137, 138 comprisingthe report 2145) and in which the potential or actual payment reductionis implicitly evident in a report type 521 (a readmission audit, e.g.),a request authorization 522 (identifying a federal agency or otheroffice responsible for identifying or preventing payment reductions,e.g.), a user identifier 523 (of a remote requestor 893, 993 who worksfor Medicare or Medicaid, e.g.), or other such indications 525; in whicheach data component in records archives 820, 920 includes one or moreinstances of records 561-569 described herein; and in which suchretrieval is “selective” in that it excludes some records (in datacomponent 126, e.g.) that reside in one or more records archives 820based on their relation to a medical condition 160 that is not ofinterest. Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts, retrievalmodule 342 may implement operation 2475 by executing a request (usingsearch term 2180, e.g.) that sets forth one or more pathologicalconditions 160 (e.g. “injur” or “lacerat” expressed in an “ANDNOT”clause of a search term 2010, 2180) that are to be excluded from thereport 2145.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for retrieving data based on a “condition” description asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.7,844,470 (“Treatment order processing system suitable for pharmacy andother use”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,739,126 (“Method, system, and computerprogram product for physician efficiency measurement and patient healthrisk stratification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,047 (“Method and system forgenerating personal/individual health records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,664,659(“Displaying clinical predicted length of stay of patients for workloadbalancing in a healthcare environment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,175(“Method for high-risk member identification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,027(“Method and system for automated medical records processing”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,613,620 (“Physician to patient network system for real-timeelectronic communications and transfer of patient health information”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,291 (“System and method for modeling of healthcareutilization”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,645 (“Risk adjustment tools foranalyzing patient electronic discharge records”).

With reference now to flow 2500 of FIG. 25 and to other flows 14-19,2300, 2400 described above, in some variants, one or more of operations2521, 2527 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operationsdescribed above or in preparation for one or more extensive operationsdescribed above. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ofoperations 2575, 2578 may likewise be performed in response to one ormore intensive operations described above or in conjunction withextensive operations described above.

Intensive operation 2521 describes detecting a wireless device within aneffective range of a stationary device (e.g. detection module 2246determining that device 2215 is within an effective range of device 2205by establishing a wireless linkage 2211 with device 2215). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one ormore intensive operations 35-46 as described above include animplementation of device 2205 as a stationary device that alsoimplements device 242 (affixed to a building or other stationarystructure, e.g.); in which device 2215 includes one or more media asdescribed above and an implementation of device 305 that does not have apower supply (comprising a passive RFID transponder 397, e.g.); and inwhich device 2215 is configured to respond to a wireless signal fromdevice 2205 by transmitting a unique wireless signal 2154 recognizableto detection module 2246 if device 2215 is within the effective range(linkage 2211, e.g.) of device 2205. Alternatively or additionally, insome contexts, device 2215 may comprise a passive USID transponder 398in a system configured as described above, mutatis mutandis.

Intensive operation 2527 describes obtaining an explicit indicationwhether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular personwith a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treatingthe medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent (e.g.configuration module 325 receiving one or more yes/no values 2061, 2062from physicians or other caregivers 991, 1191 in response to one or morequeries 2071, 2072 directed to whether a patient's records 671-675included suitable annotations 2193 of extrinsic evidence in support ofany unconventional protocols 130, 140 prescribed or used by the patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means forperforming one or more intensive operations 35-46 as described aboveinclude an implementation of device 305; in which configuration module325 directs such a query to caregivers 991, 1191 who are editing one ormore data components 126, 136, 146 of the patient's medical record 674(relating to one or more protocols 120, 130, 140 being performed, e.g.);in which configuration module 325 is configured to recognize one or moreprotocols 120 as conventional (standard or normal or common, e.g.); andin which configuration module 325 is configured to accept suchevidentiary content 432 (scans 811 or references or annotations 2193,e.g.) documenting any applicable precedent (research studies or reportsor prominence indications or anecdotal data, e.g.). In some contexts,configuration module 325 may require such content 432 or an affirmationof its existence (as value 2061, e.g.) before permitting such records674 to be saved, for example, or before permitting any order for otherprotocols 130, 140 (for non-emergency treatments, e.g.) to be placed.Alternatively or additionally, configuration module 325 may be operableto send a notification message 2190 to another entity 1091 (a hospitaladministrator, e.g.) as an automatic response to any unconventionalprotocol 140 being ordered by any caregiver at a particular hospital 202unless one or more such values 2061, 2062 are received (concerningextrinsic evidence and precedent, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover,configuration module 325 is itself configurable by such entities 1091such that each can control what kinds of notice they receive (byselectively subscribing to receive notices of unprecedented protocols140 being used with or without subscribing to receive notices ofunconventional-but-precedented protocols 130 being used, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for searching a collection of health-related treatments asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,010,664 (“Hypothesis development based on selective reported events”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,991,485 (“System and method for obtaining, processingand evaluating patient information for diagnosing disease and selectingtreatment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,970,552 (“Diagnostic system for selectingnutrition and pharmacological products for animals”); U.S. Pat. No.7,959,568 (“Advanced patient management for identifying, displaying andassisting with correlating health-related data”); U.S. Pat. No.7,853,626 (“Computational systems for biomedical data”); U.S. Pat. No.7,630,762 (“Medical device with resuscitation prompts depending onelapsed time”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,485,095 (“Measurement and analysis oftrends in physiological and/or health data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,375(“Patient data mining for diagnosis and projections of patient states”);and U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,558 (“System and method for correlation ofpatient health information and implant device data”).

Extensive operation 2575 describes initiating a telephone call between afirst individual and a second individual as an automatic response to thefirst individual not being compliant with a health regimen and to anindication that the second individual is available (e.g. response module358 creating a teleconference session or other phone call 2191 thatincludes patient 292 and agent 294 in response to an indication 686 thatpatient 292 is currently not compliant with one or more components 651,652 of a health regimen 650 contemporaneously with an indication 687 ofagent 294 being available to participate in the phone call 2191). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing oneor more extensive operations 51-57 as described above include animplementation of device 305; in which agent 294 provides indication 687explicitly and directly to response module 358 (by clicking an“available” button on a desktop system 841, 941 that implements anauto-dialer, e.g.); in which such components 651, 652 include at leastone of a requirement (to use an exercise machine or take particulardrugs or nutraceuticals, e.g.) or a restriction (to refrain fromsmoking, e.g.); and in which one or more devices 2205, 2215 (comprisingone or more sensors 2254, e.g.) signal compliance or noncompliance withregimen 650. A sensor activation can signal noncompliance with a regimencomponent 651 that forbids snacking during certain hours, for example,by detecting a kitchen cupboard 2271 opening. Alternatively oradditionally, an implementation of sensor 2254 can detect compliancewith a regimen component 652 that requires a task (medication orexercise, e.g.) to be performed during a particular time interval 538 bydetecting a movement in something associated with the task (an exercisemachine 2273 or drug dispenser actuator 2272 or “task done” button 2279on a handheld 2274, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for detecting a movement of some or all of a device asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.8,082,122 (“Mobile device having a motion detector”); U.S. Pat. No.7,973,820 (“Motion detector and image capture device, interchangeablelens and camera system including the motion detector”); U.S. Pat. No.7,967,141 (“Device for the automatic detection of the movement ofobjects”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,887,493 (“Implantable device employingmovement sensing for detecting sleep-related disorders”); U.S. Pat. No.7,826,310 (“Acoustic navigation device and method of detecting movementof a navigation device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,635,846 (“Motion detectordevice with rotatable focusing views and a method of selecting aspecific focusing view”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,511,260 (“Encoder device fordetecting movement”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,299 (“Device and method fordetecting an end of a movement of a valve piston in a valve”); and U.S.Pat. No. 6,920,699 (“Device for and method for detecting a relativemovement between two machine parts which are movable relative to oneanother”).

Extensive operation 2578 describes signaling a decision whether totransfer a resource to a first individual partly based on an indicationthat the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen andpartly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted atelephone call (e.g. response module 357 transferring credits 693 intoan account 616 of patient 292 in response to an indication 685 thatpatient 292 participated in a phone call 2191 with call center 295 aboutregimen 650). This can occur, for example, in a context in which anagent 294 of call center 295 participates in the phone call 2191; inwhich the resource (incentive 694, e.g.) is effective (large enough,e.g.) to motivate a particular patient 292 sometimes to take the callbut not large enough to motivate the patient to violate the regimen 650;and in which a primary purpose of call center 295 is to initiate suchtelephone calls in response to one or more signals 2153 (adevice-generated notification or webcam feed, e.g.) directly orindirectly indicating that a patient 292 is apparently noncompliant witha time-critical component 651 (relating to dosages of an antibiotic,e.g.) of regimen 650. This can occur, for example, in a context in whichpatient 292 complies with the regimen component 651 in a portion of thepatient's home 289 that the call center agent 294 can monitor (via acamera 2253, microphone, or other sensor 2254, e.g.); in which patient292 has been informed of the incentives 694; in which an instance ofdevice 305, 2205 as described above resides in the patient's home 289and on one or more networks described above; and in which responsemodule 357 performs operation 2578 by causing food or other goods 691 tobe provided to patient 292 (delivered to the patient's home 289 by athird-party supplier who receives an order 618 from response module 357,e.g.) as an automatic response to patient 292 accepting the phone callfrom call center 295. Alternatively or additionally, an instance ofdevice 305 may be configured to deliver such goods 691 (in a dispensingmachine 2230 at the patient's home, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for determining whether someone has accepted a telephone callas described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat.No. 7,680,260 (“Detecting a voice mail system answering a call”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,386,101 (“System and method for call answer determination forautomated calling systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,205 (“Call waitingusing external notification and presence detection”); U.S. Pat. No.6,738,613 (“Telephone set having automatic incoming-call acknowledgementdetection”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,456 (“Speech analysis based answerdetection for IP based telephones”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,751 (“Answerdetection for IP based telephones using passive detection”); and U.S.Pat. No. 6,111,946 (“Method and system for providing answer supervisionin a switched telephone network”).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for causing a vending machine actuation or other delivery ofgoods as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S.Pat. No. 8,068,933 (“Products and processes for vending a plurality ofproducts via defined groups”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,454 (“Automatedbusiness system and method of vending and returning a consumerproduct”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,144 (“Drive system for a vending machinedispensing assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,844,363 (“Vending machineapparatus to dispense herbal medications and prescription medicines”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,783,379 (“Automated vending of products containingcontrolled substances”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,091 (“Device and method forcontrolling the filling of a cup by a vending machine”); U.S. Pat. No.7,536,360 (“Electronic purchase of goods over a communications networkincluding physical delivery while securing private and personalinformation of the purchasing party”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,272,571 (“Methodand apparatus for effective distribution and delivery of goods orderedon the World-Wide-Web”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,165 (“Apparatus and methodsfor inventory, sale, and delivery of digitally transferable goods”); andU.S. Pat. No. 6,536,189 (“Computerized, monitored, temperature affected,delivery system for perishable goods”).

With reference now to flow 2600 of FIG. 26 and to other flows 14-19,2300, 2400, 2500 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations 2621, 2623 may be performed in conjunction with intensiveoperations described above or in preparation for one or more extensiveoperations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or moreof operations 2674, 2677 may likewise be performed in response to one ormore intensive operations described above or in conjunction withextensive operations described above.

Intensive operation 2621 describes causing a locally-resident subscriberregistry to be updated (e.g. invocation module 371 triggering updatemodule 2228 to remove an identifier 733 of the individual from aregistry 109 stored on a medium 105 in service zone 207 in response toan indication 683 that the individual is not in service zone 207). Thiscan occur, for example, in a context in which the individual is apatient 292, 1292 as described herein; in which service zone 207 is adefined region (a county or metropolitan area, e.g.); in which device2205 is on network 290; in which device 2215 is held or worn by patient292; in which invocation module 371 detects that patient 292 leftservice zone 207 by receiving an indication that patient 292 is now inanother service zone 208 (at home 289, e.g.); and in which invocationmodule 371 responds by transmitting a request 772 for the removal of theindividual from the registry 109. Alternatively or additionally,invocation module 371 and detection module 2244 may be configuredjointly to determine whether the individual is still in service zone 207simply by detecting whether device 2215 (worn or carried by theindividual, e.g.) is within a direct operating range of device 2205.Alternatively or additionally, invocation module 371 may be configuredto invoke one or more other functional modules as described withreference to flows herein.

Intensive operation 2623 describes determining whether a portable deviceis in a vicinity of another device (e.g. detection module 2241 detectingwhether two devices 2205, 2215 are close enough that a sensor 2254 inone can directly detect a transponder 1225 or other detectable structure2275 of the other). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichmeans for performing one or more intensive operations 35-46 as describedabove include an implementation of device 2205; in which one or bothdevices 2205, 2215 implement an instance of device 305; in whichdetection module 2241 is configured to receive a signal 2152 from sensor2254; in which such detection is “direct” insofar that a wirelesslinkage 2211 between the devices 2205, 2215 consists of free space orother passive media (air, e.g.); and in which one or both devices 2205,2215 are portable (configured to be worn or carried in one hand, e.g.).In some contexts, for example, a camera 2253 can transmit a signal 2152(image, e.g.) indicating a detectable structure 2275 (a barcode or othervisible feature that is unique to device 2215, e.g.) that detectionmodule 2241 is configured to recognize. Alternatively or additionally,one or more other devices 241, 242 may be configured (e.g. as a tower orsatellite or wall-mounted device 1343, e.g.) to perform operation 2623by detecting both devices 2205, 2215 in a common location 204, 1304simultaneously and the two devices are “in a vicinity” of one anotherinsofar that both are within 50 meters of the same point (e.g. at a“third” device 241, 242).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for determining by wireless communication which devices are ina region as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g.,U.S. Pat. No. 8,064,884 (“System and method for provisioning a wirelessdevice to only be able to access network services within a specificlocation”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,126 (“Surveying wireless device users bylocation”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,983,677 (“Location-based wireless messagingfor wireless devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,086 (“Virtual visitorlocation register for a wireless local area network”); U.S. Pat. No.7,809,378 (“Location visit detail services for wireless devices”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,548,158 (“First responder wireless emergency alerting withautomatic callback and location triggering”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,500(“Using cell phones and wireless cellular systems with locationcapability for toll paying and collection”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,385,516(“Location visit confirmation services for wireless devices”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,068,992 (“System and method of polling wireless devices having asubstantially fixed and/or predesignated geographic location”); and U.S.Pat. No. 6,957,076 (“Location specific reminders for wireless mobiles”).

Extensive operation 2674 describes responding to an event with anaudible notification (e.g. response module 353 causing speaker 2257 tosignal a caregiver 1291, 1391 or other entity 1091 when one or moreintensive operations 35-46 are completed). This can occur, for example,in a context in which a device 305 or system 841, 941 described aboveincludes an implementation of device 2205. Alternatively oradditionally, response module 353 may comprise one or more of the meansfor performing extensive operations 51-57 as described above.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing a device-initiated phone call or otheraudible notification as described herein without undue experimentation.See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,017 (“Emergency call service withautomatic third party notification and/or bridging”); U.S. Pat. No.7,650,811 (“Shifting device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,508,298 (“Automatic crashnotification using prerecorded messages”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,493,281(“Automatic notification of irregular activity”); U.S. Pat. No.7,469,155 (“Handheld communications device with automatic alert modeselection”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,192 (“Handheld portable automaticemergency alert system and method”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,076,235 (“Automaticnotification of personal emergency contacts from a wirelesscommunications device”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,485 (“Method and apparatusfor an automatic vehicle location, collision notification, and syntheticvoice”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,074 (“Radio communication system withautomatic geographic event notification”).

Extensive operation 2677 describes responding to a payment-reductionevent relating to a first medical treatment by causing a selectiveretrieval of one or more records that lack any prominence indicationrelating to the first medical treatment from an archive that includes atleast one prominence indication relating to a second medical treatment(e.g. response module 352 responding to a request 582 for records 565,566 indicating that protocol 120 was administered but that lack anyprominence indications 1126, 1127 relating to protocol 120). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which request 582 comprises amessage from an entity that pays for at least some of the first medicaltreatment (Medicare or Medicaid, e.g.) such as remote requestor 893 (anauditor or regulator, e.g.); in which a report type 521, requestauthorization 522, or other such indication 525 signals a potential oractual payment-reduction event (manifesting a reduction that hasresulted or may result from a failure to justify the use of protocol 120in treating one or more specific medical conditions 160, e.g.) and inwhich a single order 1018 for protocol 120 does not constitute a“prominence indication” for purposes of determining whether the use ofprotocol 120 itself should be scrutinized (made subject to a paymentreduction, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, response module 352 mayinvoke one or more retrieval modules 825, 925 configured to access atleast one records archive 920 that contains a prominence indication 1137(average evaluation 1053 or use count 1054, e.g.) for another protocol130.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for identifying records relating to an unjustified action asdescribed herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No.7,793,835 (“System and method for identity-based fraud detection fortransactions using a plurality of historical identity records”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,668,843 (“Identification of anomalous data records”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,650,321 (“Two classifier based system for classifyinganomalous medical patient records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,493,281 (“Automaticnotification of irregular activity”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,599(“Monitoring and automatic notification of irregular activity in anetwork-based transaction facility”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,592(“Method and system for using bad billed number records to prevent fraudin a telecommunication system”).

With reference now to flow 2700 of FIG. 27 and to other flows 14-19,2300, 2400, 2500, 2600 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations 2724, 2729 may be performed in conjunction with intensiveoperations described above or in preparation for one or more extensiveoperations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or moreof operations 2772, 2773, 2776 may likewise be performed in response toone or more intensive operations described above or in conjunction withextensive operations described above.

Intensive operation 2724 describes detecting a passive wirelesstransponder within a vicinity of a vehicle (e.g. detection module 2243receiving a return signal 2151 from a passive device implementing aradio frequency identification transponder 397 or an ultrasoundidentification transponder 398). This can occur, for example, in acontext in which medium 2105 comprises the passive device (asemiconductor chip or other device lacking a power supply 2258, e.g.);in which one or more detection modules 2241-2246 reside aboard anambulance 1295 (in device 1241, e.g.) or other vehicle (in device 241,e.g.); and in which means for performing one or more intensiveoperations 35-46 as described above include an implementation of device2205. Alternatively or additionally, detection module 2243 (implementedin a stationary device 242, e.g.) may be configured to perform operation2724 by detecting a passive wireless transponder that is aboard thevehicle (in device 1241, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for configuring a portable device to detect a passive wirelesstransponder as described herein without undue experimentation. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,074,007 (“Passive client-host detection forconnected peripherals”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,072,310 (“System for detectingand measuring parameters of passive transponders”); U.S. Pat. No.8,045,929 (“Determining presence of radio frequency communicationdevice”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,978,639 (“Systems, methods and devices forcollecting data from wireless sensor nodes”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,969,143(“Method of tracking an object having a passive transponder attachedthereto”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,725,253 (“Tracking, auto-calibration, andmap-building system”).

Intensive operation 2729 describes obtaining an indication whether anindividual is compliant with a health regimen (e.g. input module 318receiving timing data 453 relating to when a patient is takingmedications at home). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichone or more caregivers 991, 1191 prescribe a home care regimen 650 andin which one or more particular components 652 of the regimen(antibiotics or other medications, e.g.) are crucial to a favorableoutcome for a specific patient 292. Alternatively or additionally, inputmodule 318 may be configured to provide additional data relevant to adetermination of regimen compliance (raw data 712 with one or moretimestamps 711 from a sensor 2254 in the patient's home 289, e.g.) intothe patient's record 673. This can occur, for example, in a context inwhich there are one or more indications 685 (diagnostic data 490 orprotocol data 450, e.g.) that an institutional readmission has resultedfrom a behavior of a patient 292 or at-home caregiver and not fromanything that occurred earlier (while in-patient at hospital 201, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for generating indications of patient compliance ornoncompliance as described herein without undue experimentation. See,e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,032,399 (“Treatment regimen compliance andefficacy with feedback”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,917,377 (“Patient data miningfor automated compliance”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,599,892 (“Method for securediagnostic screening, servicing, treatment, and compliance monitoringfor sleep apnea in truck drivers”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,417,205 (“Medicalitem thermal treatment systems and method of monitoring medical itemsfor compliance with prescribed requirements”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,667(“Patient compliance monitor”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,668 (“Monitoringpatient compliance and bioavailability of drugs by deproteinizing bodyfluids”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,858 (“Systems and methods for monitoringpatient compliance with medication regimens”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,095(“Treatment regimen compliance and efficacy with feedback”); U.S. Pat.No. 6,124,136 (“Method of monitoring compliance with methadone treatmentprogram”); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/199,053 (“Systematicdistillation of status data relating to regimen compliance”).

Extensive operation 2772 describes triggering a search of a particularrecords archive by providing a selective search criterion, one thatresults in an exclusion of a first element in the particular recordsarchive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular recordsarchive (e.g. retrieval module 344 transmitting a search term 2010 tosearch engine 2098 that searches records archive 820 and generates asearch result 2030 that excludes one or more data components 138 thereinand includes one or more other data components 126 therein). This canoccur, for example, in a context in which search term 2010 identifiesone or more selective inclusion criteria 2001 (e.g. words or codesidentifying condition 160) and one or more selective exclusion criteria2002 (e.g. words or codes identifying protocols 130, 140). Alternativelyor additionally, retrieval module 344 may be configured to trigger asearch of other search records archive 920 (by invoking retrieval module925, e.g.) and to include the result 2030 (in report 2144, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for performing selective data retrieval as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,603(“Focused retrieval of selected data in a call center environment”);U.S. Pat. No. 7,966,532 (“Method for selectively retrieving columnredundancy data in memory device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,633 (“Method andsystem for selectively storing and retrieving simulation data utilizingkeywords”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,327 (“System and method for selectivelyretrieving messages stored on telephony and data networks”); U.S. Pat.No. 6,421,726 (“System and method for selection and retrieval of diversetypes of video data on a computer network”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,573(“Method and system for the integrated storage and dynamic selectiveretrieval of text, audio and video data”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,914(“Method and format for storing and selectively retrieving image data”);and U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,573 (“System and a method for selective dataretrieval from a remote database on basis of caller line identificationand user specific access codes”).

Extensive operation 2773 describes transmitting a real-time notificationto a first person as an automatic response to an interface in a vicinityof a second person detecting a particular event relating to the secondperson (e.g. update module 2229 transmitting one or more records561-569, 671-675 or other data components 136-138 to the “first” personupon detecting an input 551, 552 or other action taken by the “second”person). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the “first”person is a caregiver 991, 1191, 1291 or patient 292, 992 oradministrator (a call center agent 294 or other entity 1091, e.g.); inwhich the interface comprises one or more of the above-describeddevices; in which such data components 136-138 relate to the “second”person or to device 2205; in which the “particular event” comprisesdevice 2215 entering a detection range of something carried or worn bythe “second” person (manifesting the vicinity of the 2nd person, e.g.);and in which means for performing one or more extensive operations 51-57as described above include an implementation of device 2205.Alternatively or additionally, update module 2229 may be configured totransmit such a notification (using an e-mail address 721 or telephonenumber 722, e.g.) in response to a “particular event” occurring withindevice 305 (comprising one or more computation or detection eventsdescribed herein or a combination thereof, e.g.). In some contexts, forexample, update module 2229 may be configured to respond to one or morerecords 561-569, 671-675 as described herein being saved without aprominence indication or annotation 2193 (in a context in which the“second” person is a caregiver failing to document an unconventionaltreatment being ordered, e.g.).

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing a real-time notification as described hereinwithout undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,562 (“Realtime update notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,602 (“Real-time systemand method of underwater depth discrepancy detection, recordation andalarm notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,924,149 (“System and method forproviding alarming notification and real-time, critical emergencyinformation to occupants in a building or emergency designed area andevacuation guidance system to and in the emergency exit route”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,899,739 (“Construction payment management system and methodwith real-time draw notification features”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,423(“Real-time event notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,622 (“Real-timenotification of device events”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,865,566 (“Method andapparatus for providing real-time notification for avatars”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,835,506 (“Method and system for real-time notification anddisposition of voice services in a cable services network”); U.S. Pat.No. 7,813,481 (“Conversation recording with real-time notification forusers of communication terminals”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,162 (“Real timepush notification in an event driven network”); and U.S. Pat. No.7,319,378 (“Anti-theft system for a vehicle with real-time notificationfeature”).

Extensive operation 2776 describes implementing a failsafe preventingmedical equipment from operating until an order associating the medicalequipment with a patient is received and until an indication is receivedthat the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment (e.g.detection module 2245 enabling medical equipment 2280 to function onlyafter receiving a report 2143 or other indication 688 that an authorizedcaregiver has generated such an order and only after detecting that thespecific patient 292, 1392 is in a vicinity of the medical equipment2280). This can occur, for example, in a context in which one or moreorders 1018, 618 as described above call for particular diagnostic data490 in relation to patient 292; in which such orders explicitly orimplicitly identify the equipment 2280 (corresponding to a particularbiometric 481, test result 482, computed tomography scan 483, or otherimage 484, e.g.) in association with the patient for whom they are to beobtained; in which detection module 2245 is configured to determinewhether a location or device that includes a patient identifier 731,1331 is in a vicinity of the equipment 2280; and in which detectionmodule 2245 receives indication 688 via input module 314. This canoccur, for example, in a context in which one or more detection modules2241-2246 are mounted on the equipment 2280 or in the same room (as astationary instance of equipment 2280, e.g.). In some contexts,moreover, a single device 305 or room (office or server room, e.g.) orfacility (hospital 201, e.g.) may be configured to contain an entiresystem described herein. Alternatively or additionally, an instance ofdetection module 2245 configured to detect equipment 2280 may reside onthe specific patient 292 or in a location associated with the patient292 (in the patient's room, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, module314 may be configured to receive other data (one or more of indications681-687, e.g.) on data-handling media 105, 405, 505, 605, 705, 2005,2105 as described herein.

In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may beapplied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structureseffective for implementing a medical equipment failsafe as describedherein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,406(“Diagnostic Delivery Service”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,739 (“Liquid drugtransfer devices for failsafe correct snap fitting onto medicinalvials”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,917 (“Fail-safe programming for implantablemedical device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,058 (“Portable terminal and healthmanagement method and system using portable terminal”); U.S. Pat. No.7,696,751 (“Method and apparatus for ferrous object and/or magneticfield detection for MRI safety”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,072 (“Portablefield anesthesia machine and control therefore”); U.S. Pat. No.7,087,036 (“Fail safe system for operating medical fluid valves”); U.S.Pat. No. 7,034,934 (“Anti-carcinogenic lights and lighting”); U.S. Pat.No. 6,768,420 (“Vehicle compartment occupancy detection system”); andU.S. Pat. No. 6,366,809 (“Defibrillator battery with memory and statusindication gauge”).

In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that thevarious aspects described herein which can be implemented, individuallyand/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, orany combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various typesof “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electricalcircuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry havingat least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having atleast one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least oneapplication specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming ageneral purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g.,a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which atleast partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein,or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at leastpartially carries out processes and/or devices described herein),electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of randomaccess memory), and/or electrical circuitry forming a communicationsdevice (e.g., a modem, communications switch, or optical-electricalequipment). Those having skill in the art will recognize that thesubject matter described herein may be implemented in an analog ordigital fashion or some combination thereof.

The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments ofthe devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts,and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/orexamples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will beunderstood by those within the art that each function and/or operationwithin such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented,individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software,firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment,several portions of the subject matter described herein may beimplemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), orother integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art willrecognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, inwhole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integratedcircuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or morecomputers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computersystems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors(e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors),as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designingthe circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmwarewould be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light ofthis disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capableof being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, andthat an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described hereinapplies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium usedto actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearingmedium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable typemedium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), aDigital Video Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and atransmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analogcommunication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wiredcommunications link, a wireless communication link (e.g., transmitter,receiver, transmission logic, reception logic, etc.), etc.).

One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein describedcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussionaccompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptualclarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated.Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and theaccompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their moregeneral classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended tobe representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specificcomponents (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be takenlimiting.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates differentcomponents contained within, or connected with, different othercomponents. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures aremerely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may beimplemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality iseffectively “associated” such that the desired functionality isachieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve aparticular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each othersuch that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective ofarchitectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components soassociated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or“operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality,and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewedas being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desiredfunctionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but arenot limited to physically mateable and/or physically interactingcomponents, and/or wirelessly interactable, and/or wirelesslyinteracting components, and/or logically interacting, and/or logicallyinteractable components.

In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as“configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,”“adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize that “configured to” can generallyencompass active-state components and/or inactive-state componentsand/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise.

While particular aspects of the present subject matter described hereinhave been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modificationsmay be made without departing from the subject matter described hereinand its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are toencompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as arewithin the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of theappended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to claims containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “Aor B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A”or “B” or “A and B.”

Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the artto implement devices and/or processes and/or systems, and thereafter useengineering and/or other practices to integrate such implemented devicesand/or processes and/or systems into more comprehensive devices and/orprocesses and/or systems. That is, at least a portion of the devicesand/or processes and/or systems described herein can be integrated intoother devices and/or processes and/or systems via a reasonable amount ofexperimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize thatexamples of such other devices and/or processes and/or systems mightinclude—as appropriate to context and application—all or part of devicesand/or processes and/or systems of (a) an air conveyance (e.g., anairplane, rocket, helicopter, etc.), (b) a ground conveyance (e.g., acar, truck, locomotive, tank, armored personnel carrier, etc.), (c) abuilding (e.g., a home, warehouse, office, etc.), (d) an appliance(e.g., a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, etc.), (e) acommunications system (e.g., a networked system, a telephone system, aVoice over IP system, etc.), (f) a business entity (e.g., an InternetService Provider (ISP) entity such as Comcast Cable, Qwest, SouthwesternBell, etc.), or (g) a wired/wireless services entity (e.g., Sprint,Cingular, Nextel, etc.), etc.

In certain cases, use of a system or method may occur in a territoryeven if components are located outside the territory. For example, in adistributed computing context, use of a distributed computing system mayoccur in a territory even though parts of the system may be locatedoutside of the territory (e.g., relay, server; processor, signal-bearingmedium, transmitting computer, receiving computer, etc. located outsidethe territory).

A sale of a system or method may likewise occur in a territory even ifcomponents of the system or method are located and/or used outside theterritory. Further, implementation of at least part of a system forperforming a method in one territory does not preclude use of the systemin another territory.

With respect to the numbered clauses and claims expressed below, thoseskilled in the art will appreciate that recited operations therein maygenerally be performed in any order. Also, although various operationalflows are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that thevarious operations may be performed in other orders than those which areillustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of suchalternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted,reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous,reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise.Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or otherpast-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude suchvariants, unless context dictates otherwise. Also in the numberedclauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments arearticulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respectiveembodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other suchidentifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more thanonce in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identifythe same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called“dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respectiveembodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they referor other features described above.

CLAUSES

1. (Independent) A healthcare information management system comprising:circuitry for obtaining an association between a particular conditionand a first protocol;

circuitry for causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocolafter the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol is obtained; and

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partlybased on the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold andthe prominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol.

2. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving a communication delay as data entered by a user.

3. The system of CLAUSE 2 in which the circuitry for signaling adecision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to anexpiration of the communication delay.

4. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of atherapeutic protocol.

5. The system of CLAUSE 4 in which the circuitry for signaling adecision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to anexpiration of the communication delay.

6. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of amedical condition.

7. The system of CLAUSE 6 in which the circuitry for signaling adecision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to anexpiration of the communication delay.

8. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback modeof communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply fromthe individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode ofcommunication being telephonic.

9. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for contacting an individual by a fallback mode ofcommunication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving noreply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallbackmode of communication being telephonic.

10. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for updating a locally-resident subscriber registry inresponse to an individual entering a service zone.

11. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in aparticular individual has been treated at a first hospital and anindication that the specific pathology in the particular individual hasbeen treated at a second hospital.

12. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record of one individualselectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reductionthat identifies the one individual.

13. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set ofone or more pathologies selectively in response to an explicitindication of a payment reduction that identifies the set.

14. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting a wireless device within an effective range of astationary device.

15. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record oftreating a medical condition in a particular person with a particularprotocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medicalcondition with the particular protocol has precedent.

16. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for initiating a telephone call between a first individual anda second individual as an automatic response to the first individual notbeing compliant with a health regimen and to an indication that thesecond individual is available.

17. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to afirst individual partly based on an indication that the first individualis not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indicationthat the first individual has accepted a telephone call.

18. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to beupdated.

19. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for determining whether a portable device is in a vicinity ofanother device.

20. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for responding to an event with an audible notification.

21. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for responding to a payment-reduction event relating to afirst medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or morerecords that lack any prominence indication relating to the firstmedical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominenceindication relating to a second medical treatment.

22. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinityof a vehicle.

23. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliantwith a health regimen.

24. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for triggering a search of a particular records archive byproviding a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusionof a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion ofa second element in the particular records archive.

25. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for transmitting a real-time notification to a first person asan automatic response to an interface in a vicinity of a second persondetecting a particular event relating to the second person.

26. The healthcare information management system of any of the aboveSYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whetherto caution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol comprises:

circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment fromoperating until an order associating the medical equipment with apatient is received and until an indication is received that the patientis in a vicinity of the medical equipment.

27. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:

obtaining an association between a particular condition and a firstprotocol;

causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol after theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol isobtained; and

signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol andpartly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.

28. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

receiving a communication delay as data entered by a user.

29. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeuticprotocol.

30. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition.

31. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode ofcommunication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from theindividual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode ofcommunication being telephonic.

32. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as anautomatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from theindividual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode ofcommunication being telephonic.

33. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to anindividual entering a service zone.

34. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particularindividual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication thatthe specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated ata second hospital.

35. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

retrieving a medical treatment record of one individual selectively inresponse to an explicit indication of a payment reduction thatidentifies the one individual.

36. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or morepathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of apayment reduction that identifies the set.

37. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationarydevice.

38. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medicalcondition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains anyextrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with theparticular protocol has precedent.

39. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a secondindividual as an automatic response to the first individual not beingcompliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the secondindividual is available.

40. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to a firstindividual partly based on an indication that the first individual isnot compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indicationthat the first individual has accepted a telephone call.

41. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to be updated.

42. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

determining whether a portable device is in a vicinity of anotherdevice.

43. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

responding to an event with an audible notification.

44. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medicaltreatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records thatlack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatmentfrom an archive that includes at least one prominence indicationrelating to a second medical treatment.

45. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle.

46. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:

obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliant with a healthregimen.

47. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing aselective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a firstelement in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a secondelement in the particular records archive.

48. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

transmitting a real-time notification to a first person as an automaticresponse to an interface in a vicinity of a second person detecting aparticular event relating to the second person.

49. The healthcare information management method of any of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES in which the signaling a decision whether to caution acaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol comprises:

implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operatinguntil an order associating the medical equipment with a patient isreceived and until an indication is received that the patient is in avicinity of the medical equipment.

50. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:

causing an electronic record of a first protocol for a particularcondition to be annotated with a scan of a document; and

retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after theelectronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan ofthe document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoingthe first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutionalreadmission.

51. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 50 furthercomprising:

performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHODCLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.

52. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:

obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in afirst patient with a first protocol;

causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that theparticular condition was treated in the first patient with the firstprotocol; and retrieving the record of the second patient selectively inresponse to an association

between the second patient and an indication of an institutionalreadmission after the record of the second patient includes theindication that the particular condition was treated in the firstpatient with the first protocol.

53. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 52 furthercomprising:

performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHODCLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.

54. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:

obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relationto a particular condition in a first patient;

requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from anentity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol andpartly based on a first communication delay associated with the firstprotocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; and

signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of thefirst protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication ofthe first protocol was received from the entity after the effectivenessindication is requested from the entity partly based on the entityvalidating the first protocol and partly based on the firstcommunication delay associated with the first protocol.

55. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 54 furthercomprising:

performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHODCLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.

56. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:

obtaining an association between a care administration space and a firstdevice;

obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionallyauthorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device beinga mobile device; and

causing the first device to receive the first medical record partlybased on the second device entering the care administration space andpartly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the firstmedical record.

57. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 56 furthercomprising:

performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHODCLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.

58. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:

obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearableby a patient hospitalized for a particular condition;

obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearableby a caregiver;

causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to thefirst device associated with and wearable by the patient and the seconddevice associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in asingle common location; and

causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of aninstitutional readmission after the recordation of the timestampindicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patientand the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver bothhaving been in the single common location.

59. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 58 furthercomprising:

performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHODCLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.

60. (Independent) A system comprising:

means for performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the aboveMETHOD CLAUSES.

61. (Independent) An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectableimplementation of a method including at least

obtaining an association between a particular condition and a firstprotocol;

causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol after theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol isobtained; and

signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol andpartly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.

62. The article of manufacture of CLAUSE 61 in which a portion of theone or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or moreinstructions for performing the operation(s) of any one or more of theabove METHOD CLAUSES.

63. (Independent) An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicatingan occurrence of

obtaining an association between a particular condition and a firstprotocol;

causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol after theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol isobtained; and

signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol andpartly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.

64. The article of manufacture of CLAUSE 63 in which a portion of theone or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or moreinstructions for performing the operation(s) of any one or more of theabove METHOD CLAUSES.

65. The article of manufacture of CLAUSE 63 in which at least one of theone or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media bearing at least one signal from animplementation having at least circuitry for signaling a decisionwhether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association betweenthe particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol.

All of the patents and other publications referred to above areincorporated herein by reference generally—including those identified inrelation to particular new applications of existing techniques—to theextent not inconsistent herewith (in each respective latest edition,where applicable). While various system, method, article of manufacture,or other embodiments or aspects have been disclosed above, also, othercombinations of embodiments or aspects will be apparent to those skilledin the art in view of the above disclosure. The various embodiments andaspects disclosed above are for purposes of illustration and are notintended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicatedin the final claim set that follows.

1. A healthcare information management system comprising: circuitry forobtaining an association between a particular condition and a firstprotocol; circuitry for causing a comparison between a threshold and aprominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol after the association between the particular conditionand the first protocol is obtained; and circuitry for signaling adecision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol.
 2. Thehealthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:a device containing the circuitry for obtaining the association betweenthe particular condition and the first protocol and containing thecircuitry for causing the comparison between the threshold and theprominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol after the association between the particular conditionand the first protocol is obtained and containing the circuitry forsignaling the decision whether to caution the caregiver partly based onthe association between the particular condition and the first protocoland partly based on the comparison between the threshold and theprominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol. 3-4. (canceled)
 5. The healthcare information managementsystem of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry for obtaining anindication whether an individual is compliant with a health regimen thatincludes the first protocol as a treatment of the particular condition.6. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, furthercomprising: circuitry for detecting a passive wireless transponderwithin a vicinity of a vehicle, the passive wireless transponder beingassociated with a specific patient who has the particular condition. 7.The healthcare information management system of claim 1, furthercomprising: circuitry for determining whether a portable device is in avicinity of another device, the portable device being associated with aspecific patient who has the particular condition; and circuitry fortransmitting an identifier of the specific patient to the other devicein response to the portable device being detected in the vicinity of theother device.
 8. The healthcare information management system of claim1, further comprising: circuitry for causing a locally-residentsubscriber registry to be updated in response to a movement of a patienthaving the particular condition.
 9. The healthcare informationmanagement system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry forobtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medicalcondition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains anyextrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with theparticular protocol has precedent, the medical condition being theparticular condition, the first protocol being the particular protocol.10. (canceled)
 11. The healthcare information management system of claim1, further comprising: circuitry for detecting a wireless device withinan effective range of a stationary device, the wireless device beingassociated with a specific patient who has the particular condition; andcircuitry for transmitting an identifier of the specific patient to thestationary device in response to the wireless device being detectedwithin an effective range of the stationary device.
 12. (canceled) 13.The healthcare information management system of claim 1, furthercomprising: circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specificpathology in a particular individual has been treated at a firsthospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the particularindividual has been treated at a second hospital, the particularcondition comprising the specific pathology.
 14. The healthcareinformation management system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitryfor obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particularindividual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication thatthe specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated ata second hospital, the particular condition comprising the specificpathology, the specific pathology including at least one of an addictionor chronic pain.
 15. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising: circuitry for updating a locally-residentsubscriber registry in response to an individual entering a servicezone, the individual being a patient of the caregiver.
 16. Thehealthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of atherapeutic protocol, the therapeutic protocol being the first protocol;and circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to anexpiration of the communication delay.
 17. The healthcare informationmanagement system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry forreceiving a communication delay as data entered by a user, the user notbeing the caregiver; circuitry for transmitting a query to the user asan automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay; andcircuitry for updating the prominence indication in response to aneffectiveness indication received from the user after the expiration ofthe communication delay.
 18. The healthcare information managementsystem of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry for causing anindividual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as aconditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by aprior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication beingtelephonic, the individual being the caregiver, the prior mode ofcommunication having been used in cautioning the caregiver partly basedon the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold andthe prominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol.
 19. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising: circuitry for contacting an individual by afallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional responseto receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode ofcommunication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic, theindividual being the caregiver, the prior mode of communication havingbeen used in cautioning the caregiver partly based on the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and partly basedon the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol.
 20. Thehealthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record of one individualselectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reductionthat identifies the one individual, the medical treatment recordindicating that the caregiver treated the particular condition in theone individual with the first protocol.
 21. The healthcare informationmanagement system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry forretrieving a medical treatment record of one individual selectively inresponse to an explicit indication of a payment reduction thatidentifies the one individual, the medical treatment record indicatingthat the caregiver treated the particular condition in the oneindividual with the first protocol, the explicit indication of thepayment reduction comprising a quantitative expression having amagnitude larger than 0.1% of an actual cost of an actual stay of theone individual at a specific institution.
 22. The healthcare informationmanagement system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry forretrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or morepathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of apayment reduction that identifies the set, the one or more pathologiesincluding the particular condition, the medical treatment recordindicating the particular condition having been treated with the firstprotocol.
 23. The healthcare information management system of claim 1,further comprising: circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment recordrelating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response toan explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set,the one or more pathologies including the particular condition, themedical treatment record indicating the particular condition having beentreated with the first protocol, the particular condition including atleast one of an addiction or chronic pain.
 24. The healthcareinformation management system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitryfor initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a secondindividual as an automatic response to the first individual not beingcompliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the secondindividual is available, the second individual being the caregiver, thehealth regimen comprising the first protocol.
 25. The healthcareinformation management system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitryfor initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a secondindividual as an automatic response to the first individual not beingcompliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the secondindividual is available, the second individual being the caregiver, thehealth regimen comprising the first protocol, the first individual notbeing compliant with the health regimen being manifested as a sensoractivation indicative of noncompliance with the regimen.
 26. Thehealthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to afirst individual partly based on an indication that the first individualis not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indicationthat the first individual has accepted a telephone call, the firstindividual being a patient of the caregiver, the health regimencomprising the first protocol.
 27. The healthcare information managementsystem of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry for signaling adecision whether to transfer a resource to a first individual partlybased on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with ahealth regimen and partly based on an indication that the firstindividual has accepted a telephone call, the first individual being apatient of the caregiver, the health regimen comprising the firstprotocol, the resource being a product, the decision whether to transferthe resource to the first individual being manifested as a signal to adispenser of the product. 28-31. (canceled)
 32. The healthcareinformation management system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitryfor responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medicaltreatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records thatlack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatmentfrom an archive that includes at least one prominence indicationrelating to a second medical treatment, the first protocol being thesecond medical treatment, the at least one prominence indicationrelating to the second medical treatment comprising the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.33. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, furthercomprising: circuitry for triggering a search of a particular recordsarchive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results inan exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and aninclusion of a second element in the particular records archive, thecaregiver being identified either by the first element in the particularrecords archive or by the second element in the particular recordsarchive.
 34. The healthcare information management system of claim 1,further comprising: circuitry for triggering a search of a particularrecords archive by providing a selective search criterion, one thatresults in an exclusion of a first element in the particular recordsarchive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular recordsarchive, the caregiver being identified either by the first element inthe particular records archive or by the second element in theparticular records archive, the first element in the particular recordsarchive comprising at least one of the decision whether to caution thecaregiver or the prominence indication of treating the particularcondition with the first protocol.
 35. The healthcare informationmanagement system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry fortransmitting a real-time notification to a first person as an automaticresponse to an interface in a vicinity of a second person detecting aparticular event relating to the second person, the second person beingthe caregiver.
 36. (canceled)
 37. The healthcare information managementsystem of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry for implementing afailsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an orderassociating the medical equipment with a patient is received and untilan indication is received that the patient is in a vicinity of themedical equipment, the first protocol including a usage of the medicalequipment.
 38. The healthcare information management system of claim 1,further comprising: circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventingmedical equipment from operating until an order associating the medicalequipment with a patient is received and until an indication is receivedthat the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment, the firstprotocol including a usage of the medical equipment as a diagnosticcomponent, the medical equipment comprising an imaging device.
 39. Ahealthcare information management system comprising: means for obtainingan association between a particular condition and a first protocol;means for causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocolafter the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol is obtained; and means for signaling a decision whether tocaution a caregiver partly based on the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol. 40-59.(canceled)
 60. A healthcare information management method comprising:obtaining an association between a particular condition and a firstprotocol; causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocolafter the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol is obtained; and invoking circuitry for signaling a decisionwhether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association betweenthe particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on thecomparison between the threshold and the prominence indication oftreating the particular condition with the first protocol. 61.(canceled)
 62. The healthcare information management method of claim 60,further comprising: obtaining an indication whether an individual iscompliant with a health regimen that includes the first protocol as atreatment of the particular condition.
 63. The healthcare informationmanagement method of claim 60, further comprising: detecting a passivewireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle, the passivewireless transponder being associated with a specific patient who hasthe particular condition. 64-70. (canceled)
 71. An article ofmanufacture for healthcare information management comprising: one ormore physical media configured to bear a device-detectableimplementation of a method including at least obtaining an associationbetween a particular condition and a first protocol; causing acomparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treatingthe particular condition with the first protocol after the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; andsignaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol andpartly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.72-91. (canceled)
 92. An article of manufacture for healthcareinformation management comprising: one or more physical media bearing adevice-detectable output indicating an occurrence of obtaining anassociation between a particular condition and a first protocol; causinga comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treatingthe particular condition with the first protocol after the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; andsignaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol andpartly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.93-112. (canceled)
 113. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising: a device containing the circuitry forobtaining the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol and containing the circuitry for causing the comparison betweenthe threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particularcondition with the first protocol after the association between theparticular condition and the first protocol is obtained and containingthe circuitry for signaling the decision whether to caution thecaregiver partly based on the association between the particularcondition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparisonbetween the threshold and the prominence indication of treating theparticular condition with the first protocol; circuitry for detecting apassive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle, the passivewireless transponder being associated with a specific patient of thecaregiver; circuitry for causing a locally-resident subscriber registryto be updated in response to a movement of the specific patient of thecaregiver; circuitry for causing the caregiver to be contacted by afallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving noreply from the caregiver by a prior mode of communication, the priormode of communication being telephonic, the prior mode of communicationhaving been used in cautioning the caregiver partly based on theassociation between the particular condition and the first protocol andpartly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominenceindication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol;and circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource tothe specific patient of the caregiver partly based on an indication thatthe specific patient of the caregiver is not compliant with a healthregimen and partly based on an indication that the specific patient ofthe caregiver has accepted a telephone call, the health regimencomprising the first protocol, the resource being a product, thedecision whether to transfer the resource to the specific patient of thecaregiver being manifested as a signal to a dispenser of the product.114. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, furthercomprising: circuitry for receiving a communication delay as dataentered by a user, the user not being the caregiver; circuitry fortransmitting a query to the user as an automatic response to anexpiration of the communication delay; circuitry for updating theprominence indication in response to an effectiveness indicationreceived from the user after the expiration of the communication delay;circuitry for triggering a search of a particular records archive byproviding a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusionof a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion ofa second element in the particular records archive, the caregiver beingidentified either by the first element in the particular records archiveor by the second element in the particular records archive, the firstelement in the particular records archive comprising at least one of thedecision whether to caution the caregiver or the prominence indicationof treating the particular condition with the first protocol; andcircuitry for updating a locally-resident subscriber registry inresponse to a patient of the caregiver entering a service zone.
 115. Thehealthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:circuitry for determining whether a portable device is in a vicinity ofanother device, the portable device being associated with a specificpatient of the caregiver who has the particular condition; circuitry fortransmitting an identifier of the specific patient of the caregiver tothe other device in response to the portable device being detected inthe vicinity of the other device; circuitry for obtaining an indicationwhether the specific patient of the caregiver is compliant with a healthregimen that includes the first protocol as a treatment of theparticular condition; and circuitry for transmitting a real-timenotification to a first person as an automatic response to an interfacein a vicinity of a second person detecting a particular event relatingto the second person, the first person not being the specific patient ofthe caregiver, the second person being the caregiver, the interface notbeing the portable device or the other device, the interface beingassociated with the second person, the decision whether to caution thecaregiver being an affirmative decision, the particular event relatingto the second person comprising the affirmative decision being signaledvia the interface.
 116. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising: circuitry for looking up a communicationdelay as a function of a therapeutic protocol, the therapeutic protocolbeing the first protocol; circuitry for transmitting a query as anautomatic response to an expiration of the communication delay;circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment fromoperating until an order associating the medical equipment with apatient of the caregiver is received and until an indication is receivedthat the patient of the caregiver is in a vicinity of the medicalequipment, the first protocol including a usage of the medical equipmentas a diagnostic component, the medical equipment comprising an imagingdevice and containing the circuitry for obtaining the associationbetween the particular condition and the first protocol and containingthe circuitry for causing the comparison between the threshold and theprominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol after the association between the particular conditionand the first protocol is obtained and containing the circuitry forsignaling the decision whether to caution the caregiver partly based onthe association between the particular condition and the first protocoland partly based on the comparison between the threshold and theprominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol; circuitry for contacting the caregiver by a fallbackmode of communication as an automatic and conditional response toreceiving no reply from the caregiver by a prior mode of communication,the fallback mode of communication being telephonic, the prior mode ofcommunication having been used in cautioning the caregiver partly basedon the association between the particular condition and the firstprotocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold andthe prominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol; circuitry for initiating a telephone call between afirst individual and a second individual as an automatic response to thefirst individual not being compliant with a health regimen and to anindication that the second individual is available, the first individualnot being the patient, the second individual being the caregiver, thehealth regimen comprising the first protocol, the first individual notbeing compliant with the health regimen being manifested as a sensoractivation indicative of noncompliance with the health regimen;circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in thepatient of the caregiver has been treated at a first hospital and anindication that the specific pathology in the patient of the caregiverhas been treated at a second hospital, the particular conditioncomprising the specific pathology, the specific pathology including atleast one of an addiction or chronic pain; and circuitry for obtainingan explicit indication whether a record of treating the particularcondition in the patient of the caregiver with the first protocolcontains any extrinsic evidence that treating the particular conditionwith the first protocol has precedent.
 117. The healthcare informationmanagement system of claim 1, further comprising: circuitry fordetecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationarydevice, the wireless device being associated with a specific patient ofthe caregiver who has the particular condition; circuitry fortransmitting an identifier of the specific patient of the caregiver tothe stationary device in response to the wireless device being detectedwithin an effective range of the stationary device; circuitry forsignaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to the specificpatient of the caregiver partly based on an indication that the specificpatient of the caregiver is not compliant with a health regimen andpartly based on an indication that the specific patient of the caregiverhas accepted a telephone call, the health regimen comprising the firstprotocol; circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record of thespecific patient of the caregiver selectively in response to an explicitindication of a payment reduction that identifies the specific patientof the caregiver, the medical treatment record indicating that thecaregiver treated the particular condition in the specific patient ofthe caregiver with the first protocol, the explicit indication of thepayment reduction comprising a quantitative expression having amagnitude larger than 0.1% of an actual cost of an actual stay of thespecific patient of the caregiver at a specific institution; andcircuitry for responding to a payment-reduction event relating to afirst medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or morerecords that lack any prominence indication relating to the firstmedical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominenceindication relating to a second medical treatment, the first protocolbeing the second medical treatment, the at least one prominenceindication relating to the second medical treatment comprising theprominence indication of treating the particular condition with thefirst protocol.